{"id":54847,"date":"2025-07-14T14:18:46","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T08:48:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newswiredelhi.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/14\/wholesale-inflation-turns-negative-in-india-june-2025-sees-prices-slide-across-key-sectors\/"},"modified":"2025-07-14T14:18:46","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T08:48:46","slug":"wholesale-inflation-turns-negative-in-india-june-2025-sees-prices-slide-across-key-sectors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newswiredelhi.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/14\/wholesale-inflation-turns-negative-in-india-june-2025-sees-prices-slide-across-key-sectors\/","title":{"rendered":"Wholesale Inflation Turns Negative in India: June 2025 Sees Prices Slide Across Key Sectors"},"content":{"rendered":"
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New Delhi [India], July 14: <\/b>It\u2019s not often that negative numbers bring relief, but that\u2019s exactly what happened with India\u2019s wholesale price index in June. According to data released Monday by the <\/span>Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)<\/a>, wholesale inflation came in at <\/span>-0.13%<\/b> \u2013 a reversal from the modest upticks seen earlier this year and the lowest level recorded in recent memory.<\/span><\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t just a statistical curiosity. It\u2019s a signal that supply chains are catching up, global commodity pressures are easing, and key domestic inputs \u2013 especially food and fuel \u2013 are finally shedding weight after months of stubbornness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Vegetables Wreak Havoc on Yearly Charts<\/b><\/h3>\n

Start with vegetables \u2013 the unlikely villains here. In June, the wholesale price of <\/span>onions crashed by over 33%<\/b>, while <\/span>potatoes shed nearly the same<\/b>. The entire vegetable index tumbled by <\/span>22.65%<\/b>, and if that doesn\u2019t paint a picture of supply gluts and storage overshoots, nothing does.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pulses, another essential protein source, weren\u2019t spared either, falling more than <\/span>14%<\/b> year-on-year. That\u2019s not just deflation \u2013 that\u2019s a full-on price correction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fuel\u2019s Losing Streak Continues<\/b><\/h3>\n

Fuel prices didn\u2019t exactly act as a buffer. The <\/span>Fuel & Power<\/b> index fell <\/span>2.65%<\/b> year-on-year, pulled down by a sharp <\/span>9% drop in electricity tariffs<\/b>. Petrol and diesel prices stayed soft, aligning with international trends and restrained demand back home.<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the third straight month fuel\u2019s been in the red. If oil firms were hoping for a summer surge, they\u2019ll need to look elsewhere.<\/span><\/p>\n

Manufactured Products: Holding the Line, Barely<\/b><\/h3>\n

Factory output prices \u2013 covering everything from chemicals to clothing \u2013 saw modest gains on an annual basis, with the <\/span>Manufactured Products<\/b> category up <\/span>1.97%<\/b> from June last year.<\/span><\/p>\n

But zoom in on the monthly change, and the story softens. In June, this segment <\/span>inched down by 0.07%<\/b> \u2013 flat in practical terms. Some sectors like <\/span>pharma and electronics<\/b> nudged upward, while metals and processed food showed mild weakness.<\/span><\/p>\n

Basic metals<\/b>, which had held up for a while, fell <\/span>1%<\/b> month-on-month \u2013 suggesting sluggishness in construction and export-linked orders.<\/span><\/p>\n

Food Index: A Confusing Cocktail<\/b><\/h3>\n

Here\u2019s where it gets a little paradoxical. Despite year-on-year food deflation, the <\/span>WPI Food Index<\/b> actually ticked up slightly from <\/span>189.5 in May to 190.2 in June<\/b>. Blame it on month-to-month volatility. That uptick reflects small rebounds in fresh produce prices \u2013 likely weather-driven or transport-related \u2013 rather than any broad price surge.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, it doesn\u2019t undo the fact that annual food inflation came in at <\/span>-0.26%<\/b>, underscoring just how steep the earlier fall was.<\/span><\/p>\n

Inflation Big Picture: From Momentum to Malaise<\/b><\/h3>\n

The bigger trend is unmistakable: inflation is not just slowing \u2013 it\u2019s reversing. The last three months tell the story plainly:<\/span><\/p>\n