Inflation

New Delhi: Amidst a liquidity crunch and a slowdown in industrial growth, India's inflation moderated slightly to 11.8 per cent for the week ended on September 27, compared to 11.99 per cent the week before. "The annual rate of inflation, calculated on point to point basis, stood at 11.80 per cent (provisional) for the week ended on September 27," said the Ministry of Commerce and Industry today.

The current rate of inflation is quite high, as the Ministry said that the annual rate of inflation was at 3.36 per cent during last corresponding period. The Commerce Ministry said that the price index for primary articles declined 0.2 per cent, while that of fuel, power, light and lubricants remained unchanged at last week's level of 375.3 (provisional).

The wholesale price index (WPI) showed a decline of 0.1 per cent in the index for manufactured products due to lower prices of groundnut oil (2 per cent) and gingelly oil (one per cent).

The Ministry said that the final WPI for all commodities for the week ended on August 2 stood at 241.4 as compared to 240.4 (provisional), and annual rate of inflation based on final index, calculated on point-to-point basis, stood at 12.91 per cent as compared to 12.44 per cent (provisional). The index for chemicals and chemical products, however, rose 0.5 per cent due to higher prices of liquid injectables other than vitamins (7 per cent), titanium dioxide (5 per cent), and tablets except vitamin and penicillin (3 per cent). (IANS)