India’s wholesale price index (WPI) for manufacturing inflation rose to 2.86% year-over-year in January 2026, up from 1.82% in December 2025, according to data updated on 16 February 2026. The reading reflects a quicker pace of price increases at the factory gate, based on a comparison with the same month a year earlier.
The previous figure for December 2025 had shown a 1.82% year-over-year rise in manufacturing WPI, indicating a more moderate inflation environment. January’s acceleration to 2.86% suggests building cost pressures in the manufacturing sector on an annual basis, as producers face higher input and output prices compared with January of the prior year.
Both the current and previous indicators are calculated on a year-over-year basis, with “actual” representing the change for January 2026 versus January a year earlier, and “previous” representing the change for December 2025 versus December a year earlier. The latest data will be closely watched by market participants and policymakers for signals on broader inflation trends and potential implications for monetary policy and industrial margins.
