The wholesale price index (WPI) based inflation rate of the country increased marginally to -1.14 for the week ended June 13 from -1.61 per cent before a week. This marginal increase in inflation rate was registered on account of higher prices of food items like pulses, cereals, milk, and fruit and vegetables during the period.

India's inflation rate slipped in to negative zone, first time since 1977-78, during last week. However, key economist and government functionaries including planning commission Deputy Chairman Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia declined to term it as deflation.
 
Prices of primary articles, that contribute 22.02% in the WPI, surged 0.1% while the index of food articles rose 0.2 per cent following increase in the prices of tea, jowar and arhar. Prices of non-food articles witnessed marginal increase due to higher prices of raw jute, raw silk and rape & mustard seed.

Prices of fuel, Power, Light, Aviation Turbine fuel, diesel and furnace oil reported marginal increase during the reporting week. However, index of manufactured products and Beverages Tobacco & Tobacco Products declined in the reporting week.