India June retail inflation at 4.2% nudges past RBI comfort
Business
India's retail inflation for June 2026 is expected to hit 4.2%, nudging past the Reserve Bank of India's comfort zone for the first time under the revised CPI series (with 2024 as the base year).
This jump, from May's 3.9%, is mainly because fuel and food prices have gone up noticeably, with petrol and diesel getting pricier after four recent hikes.
Dhiraj Nim expects 2.5% core inflation
Fuel costs shot up between mid-May and early June, adding extra pressure on wallets.
On top of that, food prices are climbing thanks to patchy monsoon rains and worries about El Nino messing with crops.
Still, ANZ Bank economist Dhiraj Nim says core inflation should stay low at around 2.5%.
The official numbers drop on July 13, but most predictions fall between 3.9% and 4.4%.