Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Index Numbers of Wholesale Price in India  Review for the month of March,2020
The official Wholesale Price Index for 'All Commodities'  for the month of March,2020 declined by 0.90% to 121.1  from 122.2  for the previous month.
INFLATION
The annual rate of inflation, based on monthly WPI, stood at 1.00%  for the month of March,2020  as compared to 2.26%  for the previous month and 3.10% during the corresponding month of the previous year. Build up inflation rate in the financial year so far was 1.00% compared to a build up rate of 3.10% in the corresponding period of the previous year.
Inflation for important commodities / commodity groups is indicated in Annex-1 and Annex-II. The movement of the index for the various commodity group is summarized below:-
PRIMARY ARTICLES 
The index for this major group declined by 2.5% to 139.5  from 143.1  for the previous month. The groups and items which showed variations during the month are as follows:-
The index for 'Food Articles' group declined by 2.1% to 151.6  from 154.9  for the previous month due to lower price of egg , poultry chicken , tea , fish-marine, maize and fruits & vegetables , jowar , bajra and wheat , gram, paddy, betel leaves and urad  and fish-inland, arhar, pork, masur and mutton . However, the price of beef and buffalo meat , moong and peas/chawali  and ragi and milk  moved up.
The index for 'Non-Food Articles' group declined by 4.2% to 126.1  from 131.6  for the previous month due to lower price of floriculture , safflower  , soyabean and gaur seed , sunflower , raw rubber , linseed, coir fibre, rape & mustard seed and hides   and niger seed, copra , raw jute and castor seed . However, the price of cotton seed , groundnut seed , skins   and industrial wood, raw silk, fodder and gingelly seed   moved up.
The index for 'Minerals' group rose by 4.2% to 153.8  from 147.6  for the previous month due to higher price of manganese ore , copper concentrate  andphosphorite . However, the price of chromite , limestone  and bauxite, zinc concentrate and lead concentrate  declined.
The index for 'Crude Petroleum & Natural Gas' group declined by 6.6% to 81.3  from 87.0  for the previous month due to lower price of crude petroleum .
FUEL & POWER 
The index for this major group declined by 3.1% to 100.7  from 103.9  for the previous month. The groups and items which showed variations during the month are as follows:-
The index for 'Mineral Oils' group declined by 5.6% to 87.2  from 92.4  for the previous month due to lower price of ATF , naphtha , HSD and kerosene , petrol and furnace oil  and LPG . However, the price of petroleum coke  moved up.
MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS 
The index for this major group remained unchanged at its previous month level of 118.7. The groups and items which showed variations during the month are as follows:-
The index for ‘Manufacture of Food Products’ remained unchanged to its previous level of 136.9. The items which decreased where rice bran extract , rice bran oil , cotton seed oil cake  and gur, rapeseed oil, gram powder , honey, chicken/duck, dressed- fesh/frozen, palm oil, maida, gola& similar cattle feed, sunflower oil, vegetable starch, rice products and cotton seed oil . However, the price of molasses , coffee powder with chicory , spices  , groundnut oil, fish frozen/canned/processed and mustard oil cake  and processed tea, vanaspati, mustard oil, bagasse, sooji , sugar confectionary, rice non-basmati, corn flake and ice cream  moved up.
The index for 'Manufacture of Tobacco Products' group rose by 0.4% to 154.8  from 154.2  for the previous month due to higher price of other tobacco products . However, the price of cigarette  declined.
The index for 'Manufacture of Textiles' group declined by 0.1% to 116.6  from 116.7  for the previous month due to lower price of manufacture of knitted and crocheted fabrics . However, the price of viscose yarn  moved up.
The index for 'Manufacture of Wearing Apparel' group rose by 0.1% to 138.0  from 137.8  for the previous month due to higher price of manufacture of wearing apparel , except fur apparel . However, the price of manufacture of knitted and crocheted apparel  declined.
The index for 'Manufacture of Leather and Related Products' group rose by 0.1% to 117.9  from 117.8  for the previous month due to higher price of harness, saddles & other related items  and chrome tanned leather and waterproof footwear . However, the price of travel goods, handbags, office bags, etc. and plastic/PVCchappals  declined.
The index for 'Manufacture of Wood and of Products of Wood and Cork ' group rose by 0.2% to 133.0  from 132.7  for the previous month due to higher price of wooden box/crate . However, the price of wood cutting, processed/sized  declined.
The index for 'Manufacture of Paper and Paper Products' group rose by 0.3% to 120.3  from 120.0  for the previous month due to higher price of pulp board , corrugated sheet box , tissue paper  and card board and corrugated paper board . However, the price of laminated plastic sheet  and paper carton/box  declined.
The index for 'Printing and Reproduction of Recorded Media ' group rose by 1.2% to 153.3  from 151.5  for the previous month due to higher price of printed books  and hologram  and journal/periodical .
The index for 'Manufacture of Chemicals and Chemical Products' group declined by 0.2% to 115.8  from 116.0  for the previous month due to lower price of mono ethyl glycol , ammonia gas , sulphuric acid , polystyrene, expandable , organic solvent and catalysts , superphospate/phosphatic fertilizer, others, alkyl benzene, other inorganic chemicals, poly propylene  and camphor  and carbon black, ammonium phosphate, aniline , organic chemicals, shampoo, ethyl acetate, additive and adhesive excluding gum . However, the price of nitric acid , hydrogen peroxide , oleoresin, agarbatti, menthol and safety matches   and phthalic anhydride, toilet soap, viscose staple fibre, ammonium nitrate, caustic soda , gelatine, polyester fibre fabric, varnish , fatty acid , poly vinyl chloride , liquid air & other gaseous products, foundry chemical, explosive, di ammonium phosphate and mixed fertilizer  moved up.
The index for 'Manufacture of Pharmaceuticals, Medicinal Chemical and Botanical Products' group rose by 0.2% to 130.6  from 130.3  for the previous month due to higher price of vials/ampoule, glass, empty or filled , simvastatin  and API & formulations of vitamins, antioxidants, anti-malarial drugs and antibiotics & preparations thereof . However, the price of antidiabetic drug excluding insulin   and anti-retroviral drugs for HIV treatment  declined.
The index for 'Manufacture of Other Non-Metallic Mineral Products' group rose by 0.2% to 116.5  from 116.3  for the previous month due to higher price of stone, chip , porcelain sanitary ware , slag cement and cement superfine  and granite, toughened glass andfibre glass incl. sheet . However, the price of electric insulating material  and non ceramic tiles, white cement, marble slab, ceramic tiles , ordinary sheet glass, railway sleeper, lime and calcium carbonate and clinker  declined.
The index for 'Manufacture of Basic Metals' group declined by 0.4% to 106.6  from 107.0  for the previous month due to lower price of stainless steel pencil ingots/billets/slabs , MS pencil ingots and pig iron  and hot rolled  coils & sheets, including narrow strip and steel forgings - rough . However, the price of rails , ferrosilicon , stainless steel coils, strips & sheets , aluminium disk and circles  and cast iron, castings, angles, channels, sections, steel , brass metal/sheet/coils, stainless steel bars & rods, including flats and ferrochrome  moved up.
The index for 'Manufacture of Fabricated Metal Products, Except Machinery and Equipment' group rose by 0.1% to 114.7  from 114.6  for the previous month due to higher price of forged steel rings and cylinders  and steel drums and barrels and steel container . However, the price of sanitary fittings of iron & steel , jigs & fixture , bracket  and hand tools and hose pipes in set or otherwise  declined.
The index for 'Manufacture of Computer, Electronic and Optical Products' group declined by 0.2% to 109.3  from 109.5  for the previous month due to lower price of electronic printed circuit board /micro circuit  and x-ray equipment . However, the price of electro-diagnostic apparatus, used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences  moved up.
The index for 'Manufacture of Electrical Equipment' group rose by 0.9% to 111.7  from 110.7  for the previous month due to higher price of transformer , cooling tower  and jelly filled cables and electric welding machine . However, the price of fibre optic cables , safety fuse  and electric mixers/grinders/food processors, electric filament type lamps, flourescent tube, rubber insulated cables and AC motor  declined.
The index for 'Manufacture of Machinery and Equipment' group declined by 0.4% to 112.9  from 113.4  for the previous month due to lower price of air or vacuum pump , air gas compressor including compressor for refrigerator and roller and ball bearings , manufacture of bearings, gears, gearing and driving elements, pharmaceutical machinery, mining, quarrying & metallurgical machinery/parts and dumper  and hydraulic equipment . However, the price of gasket kit  and excavator  moved up.
The index for 'Manufacture of Motor Vehicles, Trailers and Semi-Trailers' group rose by 0.5% to 115.4  from 114.8  for the previous month due to higher price of minibus/bus  and head lamp and cylinder liners . However, the price of brake pad/brake liner/brake block/brake rubber, others , chassis of different vehicle types  and piston ring/piston and compressor  declined.
The index for 'Manufacture of Furniture' group rose by 2.1% to 130.9  from 128.2  for the previous month due to higher price of foam and rubber mattress . However, the price of hospital furniture  and wooden furniture  declined.
The index for 'Other Manufacturing' group rose by 0.5% to 117.6  from 117.0  for the previous month due to higher price of gold & gold ornaments  and cricket bat . However, the price of silver , cricket ball  and sports goods of rubber   declined.
WPI FOOD INDEX 
The rate of inflation based on WPI Food Index consisting of ‘Food Articles’ from Primary Articles group and ‘Food Product’ from Manufactured Products group decreased from 7.31% in February, 2020 to 5.49% in March, 2020.
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FINAL INDEX FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY, 2020 
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For the month of January, 2020 the final Wholesale Price Index for 'All Commodities'  stood at 123.4as compared to 122.9  and annual rate of inflation based on final index stood at 3.52% as compared to 3.10%  respectively as reported on 14.02.2020.
Next date of press release: 14/05/2020 for the month of April, 2020
Office of Economic Adviser, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, New Delhi,
This press release is available at our home page http://eaindustry.nic.in
Note: Due to outbreak of Coronavirus and Nationwide lockdown, the provisional figures of WPI for latest month are computed with low response rate. The figures are likely to be revised in a significant manner during release of final month.
Annexure-I
Wholesale Price Index and Rates of Inflation 
Annexure-II