WPI Rises to 2.13% in February Due to Rising Clothing Prices
By yash chouhan 2026-03-16 17:09:26
India's WPI inflation at 2.13% in Feb amid higher textile prices
India’s wholesale price inflation, measured by the Wholesale Price Index, rose to 2.13 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in February 2026, up from 1.81 per cent in January, reflecting rising prices of manufactured goods, food articles and textiles, according to the press release by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The overall WPI index increased to 158.2 in February from 157.8 in January, while month-on-month (MoM) inflation stood at 0.25 per cent. The positive inflation rate was mainly driven by higher prices in other manufacturing, basic metals, non-food articles, food products and textiles.
Within the manufacturing segment, which carries the largest weight in WPI, the index rose 0.47 per cent MoM to 148.2 in February. Out of the 22 national industrial classification (NIC) groups, 16 groups recorded price increases, including food products, textiles, electrical equipment and chemicals, while five groups registered price declines.
The manufacture of textiles category showed a 0.71 per cent monthly increase, with its index reaching 141.4 in February. On a yearly basis, textile inflation accelerated to 3.29 per cent, compared with 2.48 per cent in January, indicating strengthening price pressures in the textile manufacturing segment.
The wearing apparel category also saw moderate inflation, with prices rising 0.13 per cent MoM and 2.14 per cent YoY.
Among major WPI groups, primary articles inflation rose to 3.27 per cent, while movements in fuel and manufactured products also influenced overall price trends during the month.
The data suggests that producer-side price pressures continued to build across several commodity groups in February.
