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India's Wholesale Inflation Rises to 2.13% in Feb 2026 Amid Global Supply Woes

India's Wholesale Price Index inflation firmed up to 2.13% in February 2026, rising from 1.81% the previous month. The increase was primarily driven by higher prices in manufactured products, basic metals, textiles, and food articles. While the fuel and power segment remained in negative territory, industry body PHDCCI highlighted persistent cost pressures from global supply constraints and logistics disruptions. Experts call for continued policy focus on improving supply-chain efficiencies to contain inflation and support industrial competitiveness.

Key Points: India's WPI Inflation Climbs to 2.13% in February 2026

  • WPI inflation rises to 2.13%
  • Driven by manufactured products & metals
  • Fuel segment remains in deflation
  • Geopolitical risks cloud outlook
  • Policy focus on supply chains urged
2 min read

Year-on-Year Wholesale Price Index firms up to 2.13% in February 2026 (Provisional) as global trade bottlenecks increase says PHDCCI

India's wholesale inflation rose to 2.13% in Feb 2026, driven by manufactured goods and metals, as PHDCCI warns of global supply bottlenecks.

"Increase in WPI inflation reflects a gradual firming up of price pressures in the production environment. - Rajeev Juneja, PHDCCI"

New Delhi, March 16

India's Wholesale Price Index inflation rose to 2.13 per cent in February 2026, up from 1.81 per cent in January 2026, driven mainly by manufactured products, basic metals, textiles, non-food articles, and food articles. The Fuel & Power segment, however, remained in negative territory at -3.78 per cent, while Manufactured Products inflation stood at 2.92 per cent, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.

The latest numbers indicate that the rise in wholesale inflation has been primarily driven by higher prices in segments such as manufactured products, basic metals, textiles, non-food articles, and food articles due to an increase in commodity prices, said Rajeev Juneja, President, PHDCCI.

Within the Manufacturing Products, basic metals contributed to higher inflation relative to February 2025 due to a mix of global supply constraints, energy costs, freight disruption, and downstream industrial demand, he said.

Increase in WPI inflation reflects a gradual firming up of price pressures in the production environment, particularly in manufacturing-linked categories. While the overall inflation remains manageable, continued monitoring of commodity prices, logistics costs, and input cost movements will be important to sustain industrial competitiveness and support domestic growth momentum, he added.

Manufactured Products, which carry the highest weight in the WPI basket, recorded 2.92% inflation in February 2026, up from 2.86% in January 2026, indicating stubborn pricing pressures in the industrial sector, he said.

Given the geopolitical risks, a continued policy focus on improving supply-chain efficiencies, lowering logistics costs, supporting domestic manufacturing, and ensuring adequate availability of critical inputs for industry is critical, as such measures would help contain cost-push pressures, he added.

Stable WPI inflation is essential for maintaining consumer confidence, while protecting profit margins for producers, and ensuring smooth transmission across supply chains. The moderation in fuel-related inflation is encouraging, but the outlook looks volatile given the geopolitical risks said Dr Ranjeet Mehta, CEO & SG, PHDCCI.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priyanka N
At least fuel prices are in negative territory! 🎉 That's some relief for the common man. But the rise in food article prices is worrying. Hope the monsoon is good this year to keep food inflation in check.
A
Arun Y
The analysis is correct. Global trade bottlenecks are a real issue. We import a lot of components, and the freight disruption is causing delays and price hikes. Make in India needs a stronger push to reduce this dependency.
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Sarah B
Reading this from an economic perspective, a gradual firming up of WPI was expected with global recovery. 2.13% is still within a manageable range. The key is preventing it from spiking further. Policy focus on supply chains is crucial.
K
Karthik V
Textiles and food articles... this directly affects the aam aadmi's pocket. 🛒 We need more cold storage infrastructure and better farmer-market links to stabilize food prices. The government's measures on this front seem slow.
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Michael C
While the data is provisional, the trend is clear. The "stubborn pricing pressures" in manufacturing are a red flag for industrial growth. RBI will have to keep a watchful eye, though thankfully CPI and WPI are telling different stories right now.

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