India’s retail inflation jumps to 5.54% in September, above estimates

Shoppers gather at New Market in Kolkata, India, on September 21, 2026, ahead of the Durga Puja festival. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesIndia's headline inflation rose to 5.54% in September from 4.82% in August, adding pressure on the country's central bank to further tighten monetary policy.The consumer price index print was slightly above economists' expectations of 5.40%, according to a Reuters poll. Inflation has been on the rise for 11 straight months in the world's fastest-growing economy and has touched a 22-month high in September.India's food inflation climbed 7.74% in September from 5.97% the month prior, with prices rising faster in rural areas than cities, India's Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation said in a Monday release. Transport services for goods inflation rose 14.73% while that for personal transport jumped 7.46%, as per the release.Earlier this month, the Reserve Bank of India raised its interest rates for the first time since 2023, joining several major central banks in tightening monetary policy in a bid to arrest accelerating inflation. India's central bank also said that in the "current conditions" further rate cuts were "off the table in ...