Retail inflation rose slightly to 3.77% in September, government data showed on Friday. It had stood at 3.69% in August and was at 3.28% in September 2017. The increase in inflation was driven by higher food and fuel prices and a depreciating rupee.
The consumer price index in rural areas rose 3.34% in September, corresponding to the same month in 2017. In urban areas, the inflation rate was 4.31%. Food prices increased by 0.94% in rural areas and reduced by 0.22% in urban areas in September – a combined increase of 0.51%, faster than the 0.29% inflation in August.
Prices of fuel rose the most – by 8.47% – in September, the data showed.
Industrial production grows by 4.3%
India’s industrial output grew by 4.3% in August compared to the same month in 2017, data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation showed. This is lower than the 6.6% growth recorded in July. The cumulative growth rate over the April to August 2018 period stands at 5.2%.
The mining sector declined at 0.4%, the manufacturing sector grew at 4.6% and electricity at 7.6% in August.
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