Wholesale price inflation increased to 9.68% in May from 8.26% in April, driven by sharp rises in fuel and power, manufactured products and food items.
The Commerce and Industry Ministry released the Wholesale Price Index data on Monday, June 15, 2026, updating the base year to 2022-23 from the previous 2011-12.
Fuel and power inflation rose to 30.33% in May compared with 24.89% in April. Crude petroleum inflation reached 61.51%, up from 56.31% the month before.
The WPI increase reflects effects from the West Asia crisis and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which affects most of India’s crude oil imports and influences food prices.
Food articles inflation stood at 3.60% in May versus 2.43% in April. Manufactured products inflation climbed to 7.48% from 6.68%.
Consumer price index inflation also rose to a 16-month high of 3.93% in May from 3.48% earlier.
The Reserve Bank of India uses CPI for monetary policy and is tasked with keeping headline inflation at 4% plus or minus 2%.
The RBI raised its inflation forecast for the fiscal year to 5.1% from 4.6%, citing higher input costs from global energy prices passed on to petrol and diesel.
Global crude oil price increases led to a ₹7.50 per litre rise in petrol and diesel prices in the second half of May.
