India's Wholesale Price Index Inflation Accelerates in September 2026
The Ministry of Commerce & Industry released provisional Wholesale Price Index (WPI) data for September 2026, showing a significant acceleration in inflation. The All India WPI inflation reached 11.39% year-on-year in September 2026, up from 9.92% in August 2026. The index for All Commodities stood at 112.5 in September, compared to 110.8 in the previous month.
Major Group Performance
Across major groups, Primary Articles inflation increased to 8.67% in September from 7.76% in August, with the index rising from 118.1 to 120.3. Fuel and Power inflation accelerated sharply to 25.85% from 22.93%, with the index moving from 108.3 to 110.5. Manufactured Products inflation rose to 9.76% from 8.37%, with the index increasing from 108.8 to 110.2.
Key Drivers of Inflation
The main drivers of WPI inflation in September 2026 included Mineral Oils (containing Petroleum Products), Food Articles, Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas, Coal and Lignite, Manufacture of Basic Metals, Manufacture of Chemicals and Chemical Products, Manufacture of Textiles, Manufacture of Rubber and Plastic Products, and Manufacture of Electrical Equipment.
The WPI Food Index, with a weight of 24.99%, observed YoY inflation of 8.66% in September 2026 compared to 7.05% in August 2026. This index consists of 'Food Articles' from the Primary Articles group and 'Manufacture of Food Products' from the Manufactured Products group.
Historical Data and Revisions
The final index for July 2026 remained unchanged at 110.0, maintaining the WPI inflation rate at 9.78%. The final index for July was compiled with a weighted response rate of 98.97%, while the provisional index for September had a weighted response rate of 83.4%.
Cumulative Performance
Cumulative WPI data shows that for April-September FY2026-27, the All Commodities index averaged 110.4, representing 9.85% inflation compared to the same period last year. This contrasts with the April-September FY2025-26 period which showed a contraction of -0.20%. The cumulative inflation for Primary Articles was 6.89%, Fuel and Power surged 25.31%, and Manufactured Products increased 8.08% for the first half of FY2026-27.
Sectoral Details
Within Fuel and Power, Mineral Oils showed particularly high cumulative inflation of 41.25% for April-September FY2026-27, while Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas surged 45.05%. Electricity, however, showed a slight contraction of -1.08%.
In Manufactured Products, key sectors with high cumulative inflation included Manufacture of Chemicals and Chemical Products (14.44%), Manufacture of Basic Metals (12.42%), and Manufacture of Rubber and Plastic Products (11.11%).
Additional Index Information
The release also included provisional estimates for Output Producer Price Index (OPPI) and trial Input Producer Price Index (IPPI). The All India Output PPI for All Commodities stood at 112.5 in September 2026, while the trial Input PPI for Manufacturing Sector reached 106.1.
Data Availability and Future Releases
Item-wise WPI data from April 2023 to September 2026 is available at https://eaindustry.nic.in/downloaddata2223.asp. The next release for October 2026 data is scheduled for Monday, 16th November 2026.