India, June 13 -- Retail inflation increased for the seventh consecutive month to 3.9% in May and reached its highest level since January 2025, but stayed below RBI's target of 4%. The numbers however could have been higher, except for a statistical quirk in the methodology for collecting petrol-diesel-LPG price data which treats the 15th of the corresponding month as the benchmark.

Consumer Price Index (CPI) grew at 3.93% in May 2026, marginally lower than a Bloomberg economist poll prediction of 4.02%. Core inflation, which measures the non-food non-fuel part of the CPI basket and is considered more immune to seasonal fluctuations, expanded 3.7% in May, up from its 3.4% print in April. Food and beverages part of the CPI basket grew at ...