New Delhi, Jan 14 (KNN) India’s annual Wholesale Price Inflation (WPI) index has eased to an eight-month low at 3.8% in December 2018 as compared to 4.64% in the preceding month.

The official WPI for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2011-12=100) for the month of December, 2018 declined by 1.4% to 120.1 (provisional) from 121.8 (provisional) for the previous month.

The annual rate of inflation, based on monthly WPI, stood at 3.80% (provisional) for the month of December, 2018 (over December, 2017) as compared to 4.64% (provisional) for the previous month and 3.58% during the corresponding month of the previous year. Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was 3.27% compared to a build-up rate of 2.21% in the corresponding period of the previous year.

The index for primary articles has declined by 1.8% to 134.7 (provisional) from 137.2 (provisional) for the previous month.

The index for manufactured products has declined by 0.4% to 118.3 (provisional) from 118.8 (provisional) for the previous month.

The index for ‘Manufacture of Textiles’ group rose by 0.1% to 119.2 (provisional) from 119.1 (provisional) for the previous month due to higher price of manufacture of made-up textile articles, except apparel (4%) and manufacture of other textiles (2%). 

The rate of inflation based on WPI Food Index consisting of ‘Food Articles’ from Primary Articles group and ‘Food Product’ from Manufactured Products group increased from -1.96% in November, 2018 to 0.07% in December, 2018.

For the month of October, 2018, the final Wholesale Price Index for ‘All Commodities’ stood at 122.0 as compared to 121.7 (provisional) and annual rate of inflation based on final index stood at 5.54% as compared to 5.28% (provisional) respectively.