India's wholesale inflation fell sharply to 0.85% in April from 2.45 % in March

ANI May 14, 2025 270 views

India's wholesale inflation fell sharply to 0.85% in April 2025 from 2.45% in March, marking a significant slowdown. The decline was driven by lower fuel and non-food prices, though some sectors like minerals and manufactured goods saw increases. While wholesale inflation remains positive, retail inflation also eased to 3.16% in April. Economists note that moderate inflation can encourage production while keeping prices stable.

"The positive rate of inflation in April is primarily due to an increase in prices of manufactured food products and chemicals." - Ministry of Commerce and Industry
New Delhi, May 14: Wholesale inflation (WPI) in India stood at 0.85 per cent for the month of April 2025, drastically slipping from the 2.45 per cent of the previous month, according to the data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday.

Key Points

1

WPI inflation drops to 0.85% in April from 2.45% in March

2

Fuel & power prices decline by 2.82% while food inflation eases

3

Minerals and manufactured goods see price increases

4

Retail inflation also falls to 3.16% in April

In April, the price of crude petroleum and natural gas declined by 5.31 per cent and non-food articles saw a 1.78 per cent decrease in April, 2025, as compared to the previous month.

However, the price of minerals (7.81 per cent) and food articles (0.36 per cent) increased in April 2025 as compared to March.

The Positive rate of inflation in April is primarily due to an increase in prices of the manufacture of food products, other manufacturing, chemicals and chemical products, the manufacture of other transport equipment and the manufacture of machinery and equipment etc.

On a monthly basis, the index for the primary articles decreased by 0.11 per cent to 184.4 in April, 2025, from 184.6 (provisional) for the month of March, 2025.

Fuel & Power, which is the second major group in the WPI, decreased by 2.82 per cent to 148.1 in April 2025 from 152.4 for the month of March.

The index for manufactured products, increased by 0.35 per cent to 144.9 in April, 2025, from 144.4 for the month of March.

The Food Index, consisting of 'food articles' from the primary articles group and 'food products' from the manufactured products group, increased from 188.8 in March 2025 to 189.3 in April 2025. The annual rate of inflation based on the WPI Food Index decreased from 4.66 per cent in March, 2025, to 2.55 per cent in April, 2025.

Wholesale inflation continues to remain in the positive territory for over a year now. Economists often say a little rise in wholesale inflation is good, as it typically incentivises goods manufacturers to produce more.

In April last year, wholesale inflation went into negative territory. Similarly, in July 2020, in the initial days of COVID-19, the WPI was reported as negative.

Notably, wholesale price index (WPI)-based inflation was in the double digits for 18 months in a row until September 2022.

As per the inflation data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on Tuesday, retail inflation in India in April fell to 3.16 per cent from 3.34 per cent in March.

Reader Comments

Here are 6 diverse Indian perspective comments for the article:
R
Rajesh K.
Good to see inflation under control! But why are food prices still rising when wholesale inflation is down? The common man is still suffering with expensive vegetables and groceries. Government should focus more on food inflation.
P
Priya M.
As a small business owner, this is positive news! Lower fuel prices mean reduced transportation costs for my products. Hope this trend continues 🤞 The 7.81% rise in minerals is concerning though - might affect construction material prices soon.
A
Amit S.
The numbers look good on paper but my monthly budget hasn't changed much. Petrol prices may have decreased but daily essentials are still costly. Maybe the benefits will trickle down to consumers in coming months.
S
Sunita R.
Positive economic indicators like this show India's resilience post-pandemic. Kudos to policymakers for maintaining stability. Though we must remain cautious about global oil price fluctuations that can change everything overnight.
V
Vikram J.
The manufacturing sector growth is encouraging! More production means more jobs. But government should ensure these benefits reach small and medium enterprises, not just big corporations. #MakeInIndia
N
Neha T.
While the numbers seem positive, I'm skeptical about how this translates to ground reality. My grocery bill is still 30% higher than pre-pandemic levels. Maybe we need more localized data rather than national averages.

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Tags:
India inflation WPI wholesale price index retail inflation fuel prices food inflation Ministry of Commerce