Inflation moderates

India's annual food inflation fell to 16.04% in the week ended April 24 compared to 16.61% in the previous week, data released by the Government showed. Inflation in this group stood at 8.95% in the corresponding week of last year. The WPI for Food Articles group declined by 0.1% to 292.3. Inflation in the Primary Articles group rose to 13.93% from 13.55% in the week ended April 17, according to the Commerce & Industry data. Inflation in this group was at 6.77% during the week ended April 25, 2009. The WPI for this group rose by 0.4% to 291.2. Non-Food Articles inflation rose to 11.04% from 10.61% in the week ended April 24. It was at 2.07% in the comparable week last year. The WPI for Non-Food Articles group remained unchanged at its previous week’s level of 257.5.

Inflation in the Minerals group too increased to 1.27% versus -9.55% in the week ended April 17. It was at 3.49% in the year-ago period. The WPI for Minerals group rose by 12% to 684.0. At 12.69%, inflation was unchanged in the Fuel & Power group during the week ended April 24. Inflation for this group stood at -5.54% during the corresponding week of the previous year. The WPI for this major group remained unchanged at it’s previous week’s level of 365.1. Annual, point-to-point inflation in the Coal Mining, Mineral Oils and Electricity sub-groups stood unchanged at 13.46%, 16.90% and 4.72%, respectively.