WPI Inflation Rises to 9.92 Percent in August 2026

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry released the provisional Wholesale Price Index for August 2026. Wholesale inflation for the month was 9.92 per cent on a year on year basis. In July 2026 the rate had been 9.78 per cent, so wholesale prices rose a little faster in August. The series uses the base year 2022-23. The index for all commodities stood at 110.8 in August, against 110.0 in July.

The three major groups

Primary Articles recorded inflation of 7.76 per cent. Fuel and Power recorded 22.93 per cent. Manufactured Products recorded 8.37 per cent. In July the same three groups stood at 8.52 per cent, 20.05 per cent and 8.29 per cent. Fuel and Power therefore rose sharply while Primary Articles cooled. The indices for the three groups in August were 118.1, 108.3 and 108.8, against 117.2, 105.4 and 108.4 in July.

What pushed the rate up

The release names the main drivers of inflation for the month. They were mineral oils, which include petroleum products, food articles, the manufacture of food products, the manufacture of basic metals, non food articles, and the manufacture of chemicals and chemical products.

The WPI Food Index

The Food Index carries a weight of 24.99 per cent. It draws Food Articles from the Primary Articles group and the manufacture of food products from the Manufactured Products group. Its year on year inflation was 7.05 per cent in August 2026, against 6.65 per cent in July 2026.

June figures revised

The final index for June 2026 was revised upward. It moved from 110.2 in the provisional estimate to 110.3 in the final one. Wholesale inflation for June was accordingly revised from 9.87 per cent to 9.97 per cent. The final estimate for June was compiled with a weighted response rate of 99.3 per cent. The provisional estimate for August 2026 was compiled with a weighted response rate of 84.4 per cent.

The numbers at a glance