Retail inflation rose to 6.09% in October, crossing the RBI’s 6% upper limit for the first time under the new CPI series. Food inflation hit 8.94%, while 26.5% of items and 11 states and UTs recorded inflation above 6%.
Retail inflation rose to 6.09% in October, breaching the central bank’s 6% limit for the first time under the new CPI series. Food inflation stood at 8.94%. Price pressures were broad-based, with 95 of 358 items (26.5%) and 11 of 36 states and UTs recording inflation above 6%. Clothing prices also rose as the festive and wedding season peaked. Among services, airfares saw the sharpest increase, rising 43.2% year-on-year in October, compared with 29.9% in September. Anoushka Sawhney takes a look:
