The official Wholesale Price Index for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2004-05 = 100) for the month November, 2011 rose by    0.1 percent to 156.9 (Provisional) from 156.8 (Provisional) for the previous month.

INFLATION

The annual rate of inflation, based on monthly WPI, stood at 9.11% (Provisional) for the month of November, 2011 (over November, 2010) as compared to 9.73% (Provisional) for the previous month and 8.20% during the corresponding month of the previous year. Build up inflation in the financial year so far was 4.95% compared to a build up of 5.50% in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Inflation for important commodities / commodity groups is indicated in Annex-1 and Annex-II.

The movement of the index for the various commodity groups is summarized below:-

PRIMARY ARTICLES (Weight 20.12%)

The index for this major group declined by 1.6 percent to 201.1 (Provisional) from 204.3 (Provisional) for the previous month. The groups and items for which the index showed variations during the month are as follows:-

The index for ‘Food Articles’ group declined by 2.0 percent to 196.9 (Provisional) from 200.9 (Provisional) for the previous month due to lower prices of fruits & vegetables (7%), poultry chicken (6%), fish-inland and moong (4% each),      urad (3%), masur (2%) and condiments & spices, rice and wheat (1% each).  However, the prices of tea (5%), fish-marine and egg (4% each), gram and coffee (3% each) and pork, jowar, mutton and ragi (1% each) moved up.

The index for ‘Non-Food Articles’ group declined by 1.5 percent to 176.3 (Provisional) from 178.9 (Provisional) for the previous month due to lower prices of logs & timber (17%), mesta (11%), raw rubber (9%), raw silk and raw jute (5% each), groundnut seed (4%), niger seed and raw cotton (3% each) and coir fibre (2%). However, the prices of  gingelly seed (5%), soyabean (4%),  flowers, fodder and gaur seed (3% each) moved up.

The index for ‘Minerals’ group rose by 1.1 percent to 310.5 (Provisional) from 307.0 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of barytes (8%), bauxite (4%), crude petroleum (3%), chromite (1%). However, the prices of zinc concentrate (6%), sillimanite and copper ore (3%) and dolomite, manganese ore and iron ore (1% each) declined.

FUEL & POWER (Weight 14.91%)

The index for this major group rose by 0.9 percent to 171.6 (Provisional) from 170.0 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of aviation turbine fuel, furnace oil and naphtha (6% each) and bitumen and petrol (1% each).  However, the prices of light diesel oil (1%) declined.

MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS (Weight 64.97%)

 The index for this major group rose by 0.5 percent to 139.8 (Provisional) from 139.1 (Provisional) for the previous month. The groups and items for which the index showed variations during the month are as follows:-

The index for ‘Food Products’ group declined by 0.1 percent to 151.8 (Provisional) from 152.0 (Provisional) for the previous month due to lower prices of gur (9%), tea leaf (blended) (8%), tea leaf (unblended) (5%), groundnut oil,     soyabean oil and copra oil (2% each) and cotton seed oil, sunflower oil and oil cakes (1% each).  However, the prices of      processed prawn (8%), sugar, tea dust (blended) and rice bran oil (2% each) and ghee, mixed spices, coffee powder,     mustard & rapeseed oil and khandsari (1% each) moved up.

 The index for ‘Beverages, Tobacco & Tobacco Products’ group rose by 0.6 percent to 163.6 (Provisional) from 162.6 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of  bidi (2%).

 The index for ‘Textiles’ group rose by 0.4 percent to 126.5 (Provisional) from 126.0 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of jute yarn and cotton yarn (2% each) and woollen textiles (1%).  However, the prices of jute sacking cloth (3%), jute sacking bag (2%) and gunny and hessian cloth (1%) declined.

 The index for ‘Wood & Wood Products’ group declined by 0.1 percent to 161.2 (Provisional) from 161.3 (Provisional) for the previous month due to lower prices of plywood & fibre board (1%).  However, the prices of timber / wooden planks (1%) moved up.

 The index for ‘Paper & Paper Products’ group rose by 0.2 percent to 132.6 (Provisional) from 132.4 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of computer stationery and printing and writing paper (1% each).  However, the prices of paper pulp (2%) declined.

 The index for ‘Leather & Leather Products’ group rose by 0.1 percent to 129.9 (Provisional) from 129.8 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of leathers (1%).

 The index for ‘Rubber & Plastic Products’ group declined by 0.2 percent to 133.2 (Provisional) from 133.5 (Provisional) for the previous month due to lower prices of polythen /pvc foam (7%), polyster film (3%) and rigid pvc, plastic containers and rubber components & parts (1% each).  However, the price of rubber transmission belt and v belt (2% each) and rubber sheet assembly and synthetic rubber compound (1% each) moved up.

The index for ‘Chemicals & Chemical Products’ group rose by 0.4 percent to 135.0 (Provisional) from 134.4 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of  di ammonium phosphate (10%), turpentine oil (4%), photographic goods, antibiotics and dye & dye intermediates (2% each) and ammonium sulphate, basic inorganic chemicals, explosives, organic manure, synthetic resin and pigment & pigment intermediates (1% each).  However, the prices of basic organic chemicals (2%) and toilet soap, lacquer & varnishes, hair / body oils and pesticides (1% each) declined.

 The index for ‘Non-Metallic Mineral Products’ group rose by  0.9 percent to 152.6 (Provisional) from 151.2 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of polished granite (4%) and railway sleeper, lime, bricks & tiles, grey cement,     slag  cement and white cement (1% each),

 The index for ‘Basic Metals, Alloys & Metal Products’ group rose by 1.5 percent to 158.1 (Provisional) from 155.7 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of gold & gold ornaments and chromium / chrome (5% each),     rounds, hrc, angles, plates and crc (3% each), pipes/tubes/rods/strips, billets, rebars, pencil  ingots, joist & beams, gp/gc sheets and steel castings (2% each) and melting scrap, iron castings and steel structures (1% each).  However, the prices of brass, steel pipes & tubes and ferro manganese (2% each) and copper wire (all types) and wire rods (1% each) declined.

 The index for ‘Machinery & Machine Tools’ group rose by 0.2 percent to 125.4 (Provisional) from 125.2 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of fans (3%), electrical wires, hydraulic equipment, industrial  valves, machine tools and pvc insulated cable (2% each) and electrical pumps, ball/roller bearing, sprinkler, textile machinery and fibre optic cable (1% each).  However, the prices of pump & assembly (6%), microwave oven and electric switch gears (4% each), plastic machinery (3%), earth moving machinery and insulators (2% each) and electric generators (1%) declined.

 The index for ‘Transport, Equipment & Parts’ group rose by 0.3 percent to 125.2 (Provisional) from 124.8 (Provisional) for the previous month due to higher prices of tractors and bus / mini bus / truck (1% each).

FINAL INDEX FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, 2011 (BASE YEAR: 2004-05=100) 

For the month of September, 2011 the final Wholesale Price Index for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2004-05=100) stood at 156.2 as compared to 154.9 (Provisional) and annual rate of inflation based on final index stood at 10.00 percent as compared to 9.72 percent (Provisional) reported on 14.10.2011.

Next date of press release: 16/01/2012 for the month of December, 2011

Office of Economic Adviser, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, New Delhi,

Annexure-I

Wholesale Price Index and Rates of Inflation (Base Year: 2004-05=100)

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DS/gk