India's Retail Inflation Rises to 6.52%, Breaches RBI's Comfort Zone

Centre had asked RBI to ensure the retail inflation remains at 4 percent with a margin of 2 percent on either side.

Retail inflation rose to a three-month high of 6.52 percent in January, mainly on account of a spike in food prices, government data released showed on Monday, 13 January.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint/Arnica Kala)

Retail inflation rose to a three-month high of 6.52 percent in January, mainly on account of a spike in food prices, government data showed on Monday, 13 January.

It also breached Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) target of less than 6 percent inflation.

The inflation rate based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was at 5.72 percent in December and 6.01 percent in January 2022.

The central government had asked RBI to ensure the retail inflation remains at 4 percent with a margin of 2 percent on either side.

This comes after India's retail inflation was above RBI's comfort zone for three consecutive quarters and had managed to fall back only in November 2022.

The last time retail inflation was this high was in October 2022 at 6.77 percent.