Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Jul 14: India's wholesale inflation (WPI) slipped into the negative zone in June 2025 at (-) 0.13 per cent, compared to 0.39 per cent in May, as per data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Monday.

The dip is primarily attributed to falling prices of food articles, mineral oils, basic metals, crude petroleum, and natural gas. This marks another instance of WPI slipping into the red, reminiscent of April 2023 and July 2020 during the initial COVID-19 impact.

Economists view mild inflation as healthy for production incentives, but sustained negative trends can raise concerns. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) releases the WPI data monthly, typically on the 14th.

Meanwhile, the Consumer Price Index (CPI)-based retail inflation in May dropped to 2.82 per cent, the lowest since February 2019. This marks a 34 basis point fall from April and remains within the Reserve Bank of India's manageable 2-6 per cent range.

The June retail inflation figure is expected later today, but projections remain optimistic. The RBI, which cut the repo rate by 50 basis points earlier this year for the first time in five years, has revised its inflation outlook for 2025-26 from 4 per cent to 3.7 per cent.

India's effective monetary policy has helped steer the country through global inflationary pressures, offering relief to households and providing room for growth-centric fiscal strategies.