← 15 October 2026's Current Affairs · Economy GA Prelims ★★★★★ Mains ★★★☆☆
Wholesale inflation hits series-high 11.4 per cent in September 2026
बातमीत का?
Wholesale inflation hit 11.4%: who compiles WPI, and how it differs from CPI
Food and fuel prices pushed wholesale inflation to 11.4 per cent in September 2026, the highest under the new Wholesale Price Index series, which has data since April 2024. Under the old series, September's inflation is the highest since August 2022. The Wholesale Price Index is compiled by the Office of the Economic Adviser in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
Why it matters: asked in UPSC 2020; factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 मिनिटे
Food and fuel prices pushed wholesale inflation to 11.4 per cent in September 2026, the highest under the new Wholesale Price Index series, which has data since April 2024.
Under the old series, September's inflation is the highest since August 2022.
The Wholesale Price Index is compiled by the Office of the Economic Adviser in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
स्रोत: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
महत्त्वाची तथ्ये
Remember these
- Wholesale inflation was 11.4% in September 2026, the highest under the new WPI series (data since April 2024).
- Under the old series, September's rate is the highest since August 2022.
- Food and fuel prices drove the rise.
- WPI is compiled by the Office of the Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
- WPI tracks goods prices at the wholesale level and does not cover services; CPI measures retail prices.
पूर्व · मुख्य
How the exam will ask it
पूर्व
- The Wholesale Price Index is compiled by the Office of the Economic Adviser in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
- WPI measures the price movement of goods at the wholesale stage and does not include services.
- Retail inflation (CPI) and wholesale inflation (WPI) are compiled by different agencies and can diverge.
- A new WPI series with data since April 2024 now runs alongside the old series.
मुख्य
GS-III (Indian economy): Wholesale inflation at a series high, driven by food and fuel, raises questions on supply-side price pressures and pass-through to retail prices. Policy levers include the RBI's inflation-targeting framework, supply management of food items and fuel taxation. The way forward is better buffer-stock and storage management, and monitoring WPI alongside CPI for a fuller picture of price trends.
PYQ connection
A question UPSC has already asked on this
Consider the following statements
- The weightage of food in Consumer Price Index (CPI) is higher than that in Wholesale Price Index (WPI).
- The WPI does not capture changes in the prices of services, which CPI does.
- Reserve Bank of India has now adopted WPI as its key measure of inflation and to decide on changing the key policy rates.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 only
- 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
उत्तर पहा
उत्तर: A
Why this matters: today's issue is directly connected to a concept UPSC has already tested. Read the story with this question in mind.
Practise this PYQ →Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas that has been cooled to a liquid state; its principal constituent is:
- Methane
- Propane
- Butane
- Acetylene
उत्तर पहा
उत्तर: A — Methane is correct. Natural gas is chiefly methane, while propane and butane are the main components of LPG.
Convert this topic into marks
Today's 10-MCQ test · instant analysis · Powered by AdaptIQ