New Delhi, Feb 16 (KNN) The rate of inflation, based on the monthly Wholesale Price Index (WPI), stood at 2.03 per cent in January from a rise of 1.22 per cent in December.

In contrast, the January inflation rate last month was lower on a year-on-year basis.

"The rate of inflation, based on monthly WPI, stood at (2.03 per cent) (provisional) for the month of January, 2021 (over January, 2020) as compared to 3.52 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year," an official statement from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said on Monday.

On a sub-segment basis, prices of primary articles, which constitute 22.62 per cent of the WPI's total weightage, deflated further to (-) 2.24 per cent from (-) 1.61 per cent in December.

However, the WPI food index declined to (-) 0.26 per cent from 0.92 per cent reported for December 2020.