How new CPI will reflect real-world spending
India's stats ministry is launching CPI 2024—a refreshed Consumer Price Index that finally catches up with how people actually spend, especially online.
Built on the latest household survey data, it aims to give a more accurate picture of inflation in today's digital-first world.
Tracking prices online
CPI 2024 will track prices from major online platforms like Amazon and Flipkart every week, along with airfares and telecom bills—so digital spending counts for real this time.
Data collection is going high-tech too, using tablets and live geo-tagging across thousands of rural and urban markets for better accuracy.
What's changing in the index
The new index tweaks what gets measured: food now matters less, housing gets a bigger slice, and things like smartphones are finally included.
This update should make inflation stats more stable—and since stuff like RBI rates, salaries, and allowances depend on these numbers, it could impact your wallet directly.