Last Updated on February 16, 2026 3:23 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
AMN \ NEW DELHI
India’s wholesale inflation witnessed a noticeable rise in January 2026, climbing to 1.81%, according to provisional figures released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The increase signals strengthening price pressures at the wholesale level.
The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) inflation stood at 1.81% in January, sharply higher than 0.83% recorded in December 2025, reflecting a clear acceleration in wholesale price growth.
Data showed that the overall index number for all commodities rose to 157.8 in January, up from 157.0 in December, indicating a steady upward movement in wholesale prices.
The rise in inflation was mainly supported by increasing prices in key commodity groups, especially primary articles and manufactured products.
- Primary articles registered an annual inflation rate of 2.21%, driven by costlier food items and other raw materials.
- Manufactured products, which hold the highest weight in the WPI basket, saw inflation rise to 2.86%, making them one of the biggest contributors to overall WPI growth.
Meanwhile, the fuel and power category remained in negative territory, with inflation at (-) 4.01%, indicating that fuel prices stayed lower compared to the same month last year.
The food index, which combines food items from both primary and manufactured segments, recorded inflation of 1.41%, reflecting moderate year-on-year food price growth.
On a month-on-month basis, WPI inflation increased by 0.51% in January compared to December, showing that prices continued to rise sequentially as well, largely due to select manufactured goods.
Overall, the January rise in wholesale inflation highlights firming price trends in industrial and raw material segments, while subdued fuel prices helped prevent sharper inflationary pressure.