Retail inflation in February declined to 6.58%, government data released on Thursday showed. In January, consumer price inflation had touched 7.59%, the highest in nearly six years.

Retail inflation in urban areas stood at 6.57% in February, compared to 6.67% in rural areas. Both these rates were lower than the 7.39% and 7.73% recorded in January.

Consumer food price inflation fell from 13.63% in January to 10.81% in February. In rural areas, it stood at 10.37%, and in urban areas at 11.51%.

Prices of vegetables rose by 38.07% in urban areas and 28.28% in rural areas in February, with a combined retail inflation rate of 31.61%. The prices of pulses and products rose by 16.43% in urban areas and 16.71% in rural areas, for an aggregate of 16.61%.

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On the other hand, the prices of footwear rose by just 1.43% and those of clothing by 2.10% in February.

Among states, prices in Telangana rose the most, at 8.94%, and those in Delhi the least, at 3.46%.

Industrial output

India’s industrial output grew by 2% in January over the same month in 2019, the government said on Thursday. As many as 11 out of the 23 groups showed positive growth, while 12 showed negative growth. In December last year, industrial production declined by 0.3%.

The industrial group “manufacture of tobacco products” showed the highest positive growth at 22.8% in January, followed by 14.1% in “manufacture of basic metals”. On the other hand, “printing and reproduction of recorded media” showed the highest negative growth of 16.3% followed by 11.6% in “manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products”.

As per use-based classification, the growth rates were 1.8% for primary goods, (-) 4.3% for capital goods, 15.8% for intermediate goods and (-) 2.2% in infrastructure and construction goods. Consumer durables and consumer non-durables recorded a decline in production by 4% and 0.3%.