India's June consumer price index at 6.09%

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New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) India's retail or consumer price index stood at 6.09 per cent in June, official data showed on Monday.

The urban CPI stood at 5.91 per cent and rural at 6.20 per cent.

However, the National Statistical Office did not share the corresponding data on CPI or retail inflation due to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.

Moreover, the country's consumer food price index showed a decelerating trend. It declined to 7.87 per cent in June from 9.20 per cent in May.

The CFPI's readings measure change in retail prices of food products.

Aditi Nayar, Principal Economist, ICRA, said: "The headline CPI inflation rate that was released by the CSO after a gap of three months, posted a negative surprise, revealing an inflation rate of 6.1 per cent for June 2020, well above expectations, driven by miscellaneous items, clothing and footwear, and pan, tobacco and intoxicants."

"Today's print implies that retail inflation in June 2020 was higher than the level in March 2020, when the lockdown was first imposed, challenging the view that demand destruction would cool inflation despite the supply-side hiccups."

As per Brickwork Ratings: "CPI inflation came at 6.09 per cent for June which is above the upper limit set in the monetary policy framework. Though the food inflation has partially eased from 9.2 per cent in May to 7.9 per cent in June, it is likely to increase in July due to rising transportation costs and higher demand conditions after the relaxation of the lockdown in several areas, besides other supply-side constraints. Inflation in miscellaneous items at 5.7 per cent represents rising services cost."

"Moreover, fuel inflation is also on the rise from the previous month's level due to increase in petrol and diesel prices on the back of hike in taxes."

--IANS

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