WPI numbers for March released

The index for Primary Articles (weight 20.12%) declined by 0.2 percent to 244.1 (provisional) from 244.7 (provisional) for the previous month. 

 

The groups and items which showed variations during the month are as follows:

 

The index for ‘Food Articles’ group declined by 0.2 percent to 258.6 (provisional) from 259.1 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of tea (7%), egg (6%), arhar and masur (4% each), condiments & spices (3%), gram, urad, moong and fish-inland (2% each) and barley and fruits & vegetables (1% each).  However, the price of poultry chicken   (9%), bajra (4%), fish-marine (3%) and maize, jowar, beef & buffalo meat, milk and pork (1% each) moved up.

 

The index for ‘Non-Food Articles’ group rose by 0.5 percent to 219.0 (provisional) from 217.9 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of raw rubber (17%), groundnut seed (8%), sugarcane (6%), raw jute, soyabean and linseed (2% each) and coir fibre, cotton seed, fodder and safflower (kardi seed) (1% each).  However, the price of flowers (17%), copra (coconut) (8%), rape & mustard seed (5%), raw silk, guar seed, raw cotton, gingelly seed and mesta (3% each) and castor seed and niger seed (2% each) declined.

 

The index for ‘Minerals’  group declined by 2.5 percent to 178.5 (provisional) from 183.0  (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of crude petroleum (4%), iron ore (3%), magnesite (2%) and chromite (1%).  However, the price of zinc concentrate (4%) and sillimanite (1%) moved up.

 

The index for Fuel & Power (Weight 14.91%) rose by 1.7 percent to 172.4 (provisional) from 169.6 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of aviation turbine fuel (14%), high speed diesel (6%), furnace oil (5%) and kerosene and bitumen (1% each).  However, the price of electricity and petrol (3% each) and LPG (1%) declined.

 

The index for Manufactured Products (weight 64.97%)  rose by 0.4 percent to 153.7 (provisional) from 153.1 (provisional) for the previous month. The groups and items for which the index showed variations during the month are as follows:

 

The index for ‘Food Products’ group declined by 0.2 percent to 177.7 (provisional) from 178.1 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of tea leaf (unblended) (14%), tea leaf (blended) (4%), tea dust (unblended) (3%), mustard & rapeseed oil (2%) and gur (1%).  However, the price of gola (cattle feed) (5%), processed prawn, gingelly oil and tea dust (blended) (3% each), khandsari and canned fish (2% each) and powder milk, rice bran oil, palm oil, cotton seed oil and bakery products (1% each) moved up.

 

The index for ‘Beverages, Tobacco & Tobacco Products’ group rose by 1.4 percent to 210.2 (provisional) from 207.2 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of imfl-blended (11%), dried tobacco (7%), chewing tobacco (scented or not) (4%) and soft drinks & carbonated water and beer (1% each).  However, the price of zarda (3%) declined.

 

The index for ‘Textiles’ group rose by 0.1 percent to 139.8 (provisional) from 139.6 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of jute yarn (6%), jute sacking bag (3%), jute sacking cloth (2%) and man made fabric (1%).  However, the price of tyre cord fabric (2%) declined.

 

The index for ‘Wood & Wood Products’ group rose by 0.5 percent to 196.9 (provisional) from 195.9 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of processed wood (1%).

 

The index for ‘Paper & Paper Products’ group rose by 0.4 percent to 156.1 (provisional) from 155.5 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of corrugated sheet boxes (2%) and newspaper, kraft  paper & bags, cream  laid woven paper and paper rolls (1% each).

 

The index for ‘Leather & Leather Products’ group rose by 0.6 percent to 146.0 (provisional) from 145.2 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of leather footwear and leathers (1%).

 

The index for ‘Rubber & Plastic Products’ group rose by 0.4 percent to 145.6 (provisional) from 145.0 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of tubes (3%) and plastic products (1%).

 

The index for ‘Non-Metallic Mineral Products’ group rose by 0.3 percent to 178.3 (provisional) from 177.7 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of polished granite (2%) and grey cement (1%).  However, the price of railway sleeper (1%) declined.

 

The index for ‘Basic Metals, Alloys & Metal Products’ group rose by 1.8 percent to 153.1 (provisional) from 150.4 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of gp/gc sheets (7%), rounds (6%), plates and billets (5% each),     HRC, melting scrap, wire rods and angles (4% each), CRC, gold & gold ornaments, joist & beams and pencil  ingots (3% each), silver, sponge iron, nuts/bolts/screw/ washers and rebars (2% each) and pig iron (1%).  However, the price of steel rods (5%), lead (3%), sheets and steel: pipes & tubes (2% each) and pipes/tubes/rods/strips and steel castings (1% each) declined.

 

The index for ‘Machinery & Machine Tools’ group declined by 0.1 percent to 134.9 (provisional) from 135.1 (provisional) for the previous month due to lower price of fibre optic cable (9%), fluorescent tubes (3%), pvc insulated cable, electric motors and heat exchanger (2% each) and industrial  valves, engines, conductor and ball/roller bearing (1% each).  However, the price of machine tools (3%) and insulators (1%) moved up.

 

The index for ‘Transport, Equipment & Parts’ group rose by 0.6 percent to 139.0 (provisional) from 138.2 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of motor cycle / scooter / moped (4%).  However, the price of railway brake gear (2%) declined.

 

For January, 2016, the final Wholesale Price Index for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2004-05=100) stood at 175.4 compared to 175.7 (provisional) and annual rate of inflation based on final index stood at -1.07 percent as compared to -0.90 percent (provisional) respectively as reported on Feb 15, 2016.