India’s (Wholesale Price Index) WPI Inflation rose to 3.88% (provisional) in March 2026, marking a notable increase from 2.13% in February. The rise in WPI Inflation was largely driven by higher prices of crude petroleum & natural gas, basic metals, non-food articles, and key manufacturing segments, including textiles.
The WPI Inflation trend was strongly reflected in the Manufactured Products segment, which holds the largest weight of 64.23% in WPI and recorded 3.39% inflation in March, up from 2.92% in February. Within this, WPI Inflation in textiles stood at 4.91% (YoY), highlighting continued cost pressures and steady demand across the textile value chain.
On a month-on-month basis, WPI Inflation momentum strengthened as the overall index rose by 1.64% in March 2026, compared to 0.38% in February. The manufacturing sector saw a 0.88% increase, with rising WPI Inflation across key industries such as textiles, food products, chemicals, and basic metals, indicating broad-based industrial price growth.
The WPI Inflation in Primary Articles surged to 6.36%, mainly due to a sharp spike in crude petroleum & natural gas prices. At the same time, WPI Inflation in the Fuel & Power category turned positive at 1.05%, supported by higher mineral oil prices despite a decline in electricity costs.
For the textile industry, WPI Inflation trends point to a stable yet rising price environment. The month-on-month increase of 1.27% in textile prices reflects sustained WPI Inflation pressures, driven by input cost increases and improving demand conditions.
The WPI Inflation-based Food Index remained steady at 1.85%, with marginal easing in food prices on a monthly basis, offering limited relief to overall WPI Inflation pressures in the economy.
Overall, the WPI Inflation index stood at 160.8 in March 2026, compared to 158.2 in February and 157.6 in January (final). The rising trajectory of WPI Inflation indicates a gradual build-up of price pressures across India’s industrial sectors, with textiles playing a significant role.
Going ahead, WPI Inflation trends will be closely monitored as the next data release for April 2026 is scheduled for May 14, 2026, which will provide further clarity on inflation direction and its impact on the textile industry.
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