India’s Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for food returned to positive territory in January 2026, rising 1.55% year-over-year after having been in deflation a month earlier. The latest data, updated on 16 February 2026, mark a sharp turnaround from December 2025, when WPI food prices registered a 0.43% annual decline.
The figures are based on a year-over-year comparison, with the January 2026 reading measured against January 2025, and the December 2025 figure measured against December 2024. The move from –0.43% to +1.55% suggests food prices at the wholesale level have shifted from mild downward pressure to renewed upward momentum at the start of 2026.
For policymakers and markets, the reversal in WPI food inflation will be closely watched, given the sector’s influence on overall inflation dynamics, business input costs, and margins across India’s food supply chain.
