{"id":"f-e550251d2f-17615bfb-cd1d-58f4-bf8f-48c1cffebee8","title":"India’s inflation rises less than expected in December as food prices remain soft","description":"India’s retail inflation came in at 1.33% in December, below CNBC-TV18 estimates, as soft food prices offset sequential pressure across rural, urban and core consumption segments.","timestamp":1768218353,"category":"national_v_two","headline":"India’s inflation rises less than expected in December as food prices remain soft","modifiedHeadline":"India's Inflation Rise Is Less Than Expected","subCategories":["scid_2c0dc4ac"],"region":"IN","bundleMetaData":{"bundleId":"7b48871c-c993-4956-b43d-6f46f8e1b036","bundleTitle":"Today In India","cardData":null},"iabCategoryId":"88","fcSummary":"India's December CPI inflation was 1.33%, below expectations. Food prices drove the softer outcome, with food inflation at -2.71%. Vegetable and pulse deflation remained steep. Rural and urban inflation rose sequentially, indicating firmer price pressures in cities.","summary":"India's Dec retail inflation eases to 1.33%, underperforming estimates. Soft food prices offset pressures in consumption segments.","ctaUrl":"https://trends.glance.com/newz/Economy/IN/en/cnbc-tv18/f-e550251d2f-17615bfb-cd1d-58f4-bf8f-48c1cffebee8","sourceUrl":"https://www.cnbctv18.com/economy/india-inflation-cpi-rises-less-than-expected-in-december-food-prices-remain-soft-ws-l-19819231.htm","bannerImage":"https://g-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/fc/image/yFzu8ZKaAhl0.webp","content":"

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India’s consumer price inflation (CPI) came in at 1.33% in December, undershooting the CNBC-TV18 poll estimate of 1.62%, data released on Monday showed.

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Inflation, however, rose on a month-on-month basis from 0.71%, pointing to emerging sequential pressures beneath the headline print.

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Food prices remained the key driver of the softer inflation outcome. Food inflation stood at -2.71% in December, compared with the CNBC-TV18 poll estimate of -1.3%, although it narrowed from a sharper -3.91% contraction on a month-on-month basis.

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Vegetables continued to see steep deflation at -18.47%, while pulses inflation remained deeply negative at -15.09%, both easing slightly from the previous month.

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Rural inflation rose to 0.76% on a sequential basis, up from 0.10%, while urban inflation increased to 2.03% from 1.40%, indicating firmer price pressures in cities.

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Also Read: India’s FY26 GDP estimates hold up as economists assess what lies beneath

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Fuel and light inflation cooled marginally to 1.97% from 2.32% on a month-on-month basis, while housing inflation edged lower to 2.86%.

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Clothing and footwear inflation also eased slightly to 1.44% from 1.49%. Overall, the December data highlights continued relief from food prices even as core and urban inflation trends show signs of gradual firming.

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Also Read: Economic Survey 2026: Here is all you need to know about this crucial document on state of the economy

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India’s inflation rises less than expected in December as food prices remain soft

SUMMARY