India, May 14 -- The stress on the Indian economy is beginning to show up in data. The wholesale price index (WPI) for April, at 8.3% over the past year, has seen a sharp jump over the March number, which stood at 3.88%. Fuel inflation, no surprises, is the harshest, up almost 25%.

Also visible is the pressure on the government finances, as the consumer price index (CPI) for April was less than half this number at 3.48%, up marginally from March at 3.40%. While it might be incorrect to directly compare WPI and CPI data, the fact that the government has absorbed higher fuel prices till now is beginning to show up in the sharp increase in the gap between the two numbers.

Oil companies are losing Rs.1,000 crore a day, said petroleum and na...