### Wholesale and Retail Inflation Trends in India: A Comprehensive Overview In November 2025, India's economic landscape reflected a complex interplay of inflationary pressures, with wholesale inflation narrowing to -0.32% and retail inflation rising to 0.71%. This duality highlights the ongoing challenges in managing food prices, which remain a significant factor in both wholesale and retail inflation metrics. The easing of deflationary pressures in wholesale markets contrasts with the slight uptick in consumer prices, indicating a nuanced economic environment. ### Breakdown of Inflation Trends 1. **Wholesale Inflation Dynamics** - Wholesale inflation decreased to -0.32% in November, primarily influenced by stabilizing vegetable prices and firmer non-food articles, which softened the pace of deflation [https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/economy/wholesale-inflation-narrows-to-0-32-in-november-as-deflationary-pressures-ease-13725439.html]. - Food prices continued to exert downward pressure, although the overall deflationary trend showed signs of easing. 2. **Retail Inflation Insights** - Retail inflation rose to 0.71% in November, up from a record low of 0.25% in October, driven by increased costs of vegetables, eggs, and meat [https://www.rediff.com/business/report/retail-inflation-rises-to-071-in-nov/20251212.htm]. - This increase aligns with forecasts and reflects a broader trend of rising consumer prices, despite food inflation remaining negative at -2.78% [https://peoplebugs.com/food-inflation-remained-at-negative-2-78-in-november-as-cpi-rose-to-0-71]. 3. **Future Projections and Economic Outlook** - A report by Crisil predicts that CPI inflation will average 2.5% in FY26, with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) remaining data-dependent in its monetary policy decisions amid a volatile global economic backdrop [https://www.thehawk.in/news/economy-and-business/cpi-inflation-to-average-25-pc-in-fy26-gst-cuts-to-support-core-inflation-report]. - The RBI's target for inflation remains between 2% and 6%, and the current figures indicate that inflation is still below this range for the third consecutive month [https://www.firstpost.com/world/indias-retail-inflation-rises-to-0-71-in-november-on-slower-fall-in-food-prices-13959238.html]. ### Supporting Data and Evidence - **Inflation Rates**: - **Wholesale Inflation**: -0.32% in November [https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/economy/wholesale-inflation-narrows-to-0-32-in-november-as-deflationary-pressures-ease-13725439.html]. - **Retail Inflation**: 0.71% in November, up from 0.25% in October [https://www.rediff.com/business/report/retail-inflation-rises-to-071-in-nov/20251212.htm]. - **Food Inflation**: Negative 2.78% in November [https://peoplebugs.com/food-inflation-remained-at-negative-2-78-in-november-as-cpi-rose-to-0-71]. ### Conclusion: Navigating Economic Challenges In summary, the inflationary landscape in India for November 2025 presents a mixed picture: 1. **Wholesale inflation** has narrowed to -0.32%, indicating easing deflationary pressures, particularly in food prices. 2. **Retail inflation** has increased to 0.71%, reflecting rising consumer prices, especially in essential food items. 3. **Future projections** suggest a moderate inflation rate of 2.5% for FY26, with the RBI maintaining a cautious approach to monetary policy. This complex interplay of factors underscores the challenges faced by policymakers in balancing inflation control with economic growth [https://www.thehawk.in/news/economy-and-business/cpi-inflation-to-average-25-pc-in-fy26-gst-cuts-to-support-core-inflation-report].