Consumer inflation worsens to 6.21% in October from 5.49% in previous month

Domestic consumer inflation worsened to 6.21 per cent in October from 5.49 per cent the previous month, according to official data released on Tuesday. This marks a monthly reading beyond the Reserve Bank of India's comfort zone of 2-6 per cent. Consumer inflation—or the rate of increase in the prices consumers pay for a basket of goods and services—is measured with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in India. 

In a first, the inflation data was released at 4 pm instead of 5:30 pm, days after the statistics department announced its decision to move the timings closer to market hours. 

Food inflation—gauged with the Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI)—entered double digits, recorded at 10.87 per cent in October as against 9.24 per cent in the previous month.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) tracks consumer inflation data primarily to formulate its monetary policy. 

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Last month, the RBI Governor-headed Monetary Policy Committee, which is the central bank's top rate-deciding panel, announced a status quo on the repo rate while revising its policy stance to 'neutral' from 'withdrawal of accommodation'.

While maintaining its full-year projection for domestic consumer inflation at 4.5 per cent, the MPC its quarterly projections to 4.1 per cent from 4.4 per cent for Q2, to 4.8 per cent from 4.7 per cent for Q3, and to 4.2 per cent from 4.3 per cent for Q4, citing "evenly balanced" risks. 

The RBI reiterated its intent to contain inflation at 4 per cent with lower and upper tolerance levels of 2 per cent and 6 per cent respectively.  

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RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said the central bank must remain vigilant on consumer inflation though it is closer to the target range while core inflation seems to have bottomed out.

Das also mentioned that the RBI expects food inflation-related pressures to ease later this financial year. Read RBI Governor's October 9 speech

Meanwhile, the Committee voted 5:1 to keep the repo rate intact though its decision to revise the policy stance was unanimous. A neutral stance allows the RBI to move on either side with rates based on domestic macroeconomic conditions.

The next bi-monthly MPC review is due in December.