India’s wholesale price inflation rose to 1.81 per cent in January, according to provisional data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, reflecting an increase in wholesale prices. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) based inflation stood at 1.81 per cent in January 2026 compared to the corresponding month of the previous year, indicating a positive rate of inflation during the month.
This rise shows that overall wholesale prices of goods increased on an annual basis, driven mainly by changes across major commodity groups, including primary articles and manufactured products. According to the official data, the index number for all commodities increased to 157.8 in January from 157.0 in December, reflecting a steady increase in price levels at the wholesale level.
The inflation rate had stood at 0.83 per cent in December, showing that the pace of price increase accelerated further in January. Among the major commodity groups, primary articles recorded an annual inflation rate of 2.21 per cent in January, indicating higher prices for items such as food and other raw materials.
However, fuel and power continued to show deflation, with inflation at -4.01 per cent, suggesting that prices in this category remained lower compared to last year. Manufactured products, which carry the highest weight in the WPI basket, recorded an inflation rate of 2.86 per cent in January. This indicates that prices of manufactured goods, including industrial products, continued to increase, contributing significantly to the overall rise in wholesale inflation.
The food index, which includes food items from both primary articles and manufactured products, recorded an inflation rate of 1.41 per cent in January. This reflects moderate price increases in food-related items compared to the same period last year. On a month-on-month basis, the WPI increased by 0.51 per cent in January compared to December, indicating a continued upward movement in wholesale prices.
This monthly rise reflects higher prices in certain manufactured products, even as some other categories witnessed price declines during the month. Overall, the increase in wholesale inflation to 1.81 per cent in January reflects rising price pressures at the wholesale level following the base revision, with manufactured products and primary articles contributing to the upward trend, while fuel and power prices continued to remain in deflation.
