India’s inflation accelerates to 4.45% in July, raising hopes of a rate hike later this year

NEW DELHI, INDIA - 2025/11/19: Various fresh vegetables displayed at a street market in Old Delhi. People are shopping for produce, with more stalls visible in the distance. (Photo by Frank Bienewald/LightRocket via Getty Images)Frank Bienewald | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesIndia's consumer price inflation continued to climb for the ninth month in a row to 4.45% in July, up from 4.38% in June, firming up prospects of the country's central bank raising interest rates later this year.However, the headline inflation number was marginally below economists' expectations for a 4.50% rise, according to a Reuters poll.India's food inflation rose 5.5%, while personal transport and goods transport inflation rose above 7% each in July, India's Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation said in a Monday release.Earlier this month, India's central bank kept benchmark interest rates unchanged in contrast to many of its Asian peers, who hiked rates to tackle inflationary headwinds caused by the disruption of global energy supply chains amid the Iran war.India, the world's fastest-growing major economy, is among the countries most vulnerable to the supply disruptions caused by the war. The So...