Overview
- Economist surveys this week point to CPI rising to about 3.8% to 3.9% year on year in April, up from 3.4% in March.
- Higher energy costs are starting to filter through as LPG and aviation fuel prices rose after supply strains linked to the West Asia conflict.
- Food prices likely firmed as vegetables, edible oils, eggs, and ready-to-eat items got costlier during a spell of heat and untimely rain.
- The Reserve Bank of India kept the policy rate at 5.25% in April, and Governor Sanjay Malhotra says the bank is in wait-and-watch mode.
- Wholesale inflation is seen near 4.40% in April, a gauge that tends to move first when global commodity prices jump.