India’s wholesale inflation accelerated sharply to 8.3% year‑on‑year in April, the fastest pace in the current WPI series, government data released on May 14, 2026 showed — a clear upside surprise driven largely by a jump in fuel and crude oil prices. The reading was well above market forecasts; a Reuters poll had expected wholesale inflation of around 4.4% for April.
The Wholesale Price Index had risen 3.88% in March, underlining a steep month‑on‑month increase in input cost pressures across sectors. April’s jump therefore represents a marked acceleration in producer‑level inflation that is broadening beyond energy alone.
The surge was led by the fuel and power category, which climbed to 24.71% in April from 1.05% in March, reflecting elevated global crude prices amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and supply uncertainty. Within that group, inflation for crude petroleum and natural gas surged 67.18%, while petrol and diesel prices rose 32.4% and 25.19%, respectively.
Price pressures also deepened across manufacturing. Inflation for manufactured products rose to 4.62% in April from 3.39% in March, driven by higher costs for chemicals, textiles and basic metals. Basic metals inflation reached 7.0%, and chemicals and chemical products recorded inflation of 5.09%, pointing to rising input costs for core industrial sectors.
The data signal strengthening cost‑push dynamics that could feed through to wider price-setting and complicate the inflation outlook for policymakers and businesses.
Original Source: https://www.firstpost.com/business/india-wholesale-inflation-april-2026-wpi-8-3-per-cent-fuel-shock-india-fuel-price-14011098.html
Category: India
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Publish Date: 2026-05-14 12:26:00
