India's retail inflation or Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based inflation rose by 3.4% year-on-year in March 2026, marginally higher than the previous month, according to data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation (MoSPI) on Monday.
This is in line with consensus estimate of analysts tracked by Bloomberg. In the preceding month, inflation stood at 3.21%.
Despite the uptick, the retail inflation continues to remain within the RBI's medium-term target of 4%.
In comparison in February, the retail inflation stood at 3.21%. In January, the retail inflation stood at 2.75%, as per data compiled under the new CPI series, where the base year was moved to 2024 from 2012.
India's March CPI food inflation stood at 3.87% up from 3.47% in February. Inflation for the food & beverages segment stood at 3.71%.
Core inflation, which excludes the volatile food and fuel prices, was steady at 3.3%. Urban inflation rose to 3.11% from 3.02% in February. Similarly, rural inflation also went up to 3.63% in Feb from 3.37% in February.
Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuel prices stood at 1.97%. Inflation in clothing and footwear prices was recorded at 2.75%, prices for intoxicants such as paan, tobacco stood at 4.23%.
In the commodities and vegetable basket, highest price rises were clocked by silver jewellery (at 148.61%), Gold/diamond/platinum jewellery (45.92%), Coconut (45.52%), Tomato (35.99%), and Cauliflower (34.11%)
Whereas, prices of garlic, onion, potato, arhar or tur pulse, and litchi edged lower in March.
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