India, Oct. 12 -- India's retail inflation rose to 5.54 per cent in September 2026, according to government data released on Monday, driven by a sharp increase in food prices.

The year-on-year inflation rate based on the All India Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) stood at 7.74 per cent in September, on a provisional basis, compared with the corresponding month last year. Food inflation was higher in rural areas, at 8.06 per cent, than in urban areas, where it stood at 7.18 per cent.

Onion, ginger, garlic and lemon were among the food items that recorded some of the steepest price increases during the month.

Onion prices witnessed a sharp acceleration in inflation, which surged to 108.09 per cent in September from 48.78 per cent in Augu...