Retail inflation rises to 5.54% in September

India’s retail inflation rose to 5.54% in September from 4.83% in August, while food inflation increased to 7.74% from 5.97%, according to provisional Consumer Price Index data released on Monday. The CPI series, with 2024 as its base year, showed rural inflation at 6.08%, compared with 5.24% in August. Urban inflation rose to 4.88% from 4.31%. Food inflation, measured by the Consumer Food Price Index, stood at 8.06% in rural areas and 7.18% in urban areas, up from 6.17% and 5.64%, respectively, in August.
The combined CPI index increased to 109.49 in September from 108.74 in August, while the combined food price index rose to 112.17 from 110.73. September’s figures are provisional, while August’s figures are final. Among individual items, onion prices recorded year-on-year inflation of 108.09%, compared with 48.78% in August. Silver jewellery inflation stood at 87.80%, down from 106.81%, while ginger inflation eased to 62.85% from 73.82%. 
Garlic inflation increased to 54.62% from 43.60%, and lemon inflation rose to 36.41% from 15.15%. Several items remained cheaper than a year earlier. Potato prices declined 11.50% year-on-year, tomatoes 8.62%, motor cars and jeeps 4.51%, lady’s finger 4.48% and coconut 3.99%. In August, the corresponding declines were 13.15% for potatoes, 31.09% for tomatoes, 6.73% for motor cars and jeeps, 5.41% for lady’s finger and 3% for coconut. Vehicle purchase prices declined 2.56% year-on-year, while recreational durables fell 0.85%.
Among states with populations exceeding 50 lakh according to Census 2011, Tamil Nadu recorded the highest headline inflation at 6.81%, followed by Odisha at 6.70%, Madhya Pradesh at 6.68%, Telangana at 6.64% and Andhra Pradesh at 6.29%. Across all states and Union Territories, Puducherry recorded inflation of 6.86%. Mizoram registered 2.85%, Nagaland 3.22% and Delhi 3.40%.