India's Wholesale Price Index Inflation for August 2026

India's wholesale inflation, as measured by the Wholesale Price Index (Base Year 2022-23), accelerated to 9.92% year-on-year in August 2026, up from 9.78% in July 2026. The index for All Commodities increased to 110.8 in August from 110.0 in July, indicating sustained price pressures across the economy.

Major Group Performance

The inflation trajectory varied significantly across major commodity groups. Fuel and Power inflation showed the sharpest increase at 22.93% in August compared to 20.05% in July, with its index rising to 108.3 from 105.4. Primary Articles inflation moderated slightly to 7.76% from 8.52%, though its index increased to 118.1 from 117.2. Manufactured Products inflation edged up to 8.37% from 8.29%, with the index climbing to 108.8 from 108.4.

Key Drivers of Inflation

The Ministry identified 'Mineral Oils (containing Petroleum Products)', 'Food Articles', 'Manufacture of Food Products', 'Manufacture of Basic Metals', 'Non-Food Articles', and 'Manufacture of Chemicals and Chemical Products' as the major drivers of WPI inflation in August 2026. The WPI Food Index, which carries a weight of 24.99% and combines Food Articles from Primary Articles and Manufacture of Food Products from Manufactured Products, recorded inflation of 7.05% in August compared to 6.65% in July.

Data Revisions and Methodology

The final index for June 2026 was revised upward from 110.2 to 110.3, resulting in WPI inflation being revised from 9.87% to 9.97%. The final estimate for June was compiled with a weighted response rate of 99.3%, while the provisional estimate for August had a response rate of 84.4%. The release follows the standard schedule, with provisional indices released on the 14th of the following month (or next working day), indicating the next release for September 2026 will be on October 14, 2026.

Cumulative Performance Analysis

Cumulative data from April to August shows significant inflationary pressures building in FY 2026-27. The cumulative WPI for All Commodities for April-August FY 2026-27 stands at 110.0, compared to 100.4 in the same period of FY 2025-26, representing cumulative YoY inflation of 9.56%. Fuel and Power showed the highest cumulative inflation at 25.20%, driven particularly by Mineral Oils (41.65% cumulative inflation) and Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas (42.60% cumulative inflation). Manufactured Products recorded cumulative inflation of 7.78%, while Primary Articles showed 6.45% cumulative inflation.

Supplementary Indices

The document also includes provisional estimates for Output Producer Price Index (OPPI) and trial Input Producer Price Index (IPPI). The Output PPI for All Commodities stood at 110.8 in August, up from 109.9 in July. The trial Input PPI for the Manufacturing Sector for August 2026 was 104.2 (provisional), with the June 2026 figure revised from 107.1 to 105.9.