AICPIN for the Month of March 2021

Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (2016=100) – March, 2021

Key Highlights.

1. All-India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (2016=100) for March, 2021 increased to 119.6 points compared to 119.0 points for February, 2021.
2. The increase observed in index is mainly due to items like Cooking Gas, Petrol, Poultry Chicken, Edible Oils, Apple, Tea Leaf, Served & Processed Packaged Food, etc. which experienced an increase in prices.
3. Inflation for March, 2021 went up to 5.64 per cent compared to 4.48 per cent of previous month. Similarly, Food inflation also rose to 5.36 per cent from 4.64 per cent in the previous month.

The All-India CPI-IW for March, 2021 increased by 0.6 points and stood at 119.6 (one hundred nineteen and point six). On 1-month percentage change, it increased by 0.50 per cent with respect to previous month whereas there was a decline of 0.61 per cent between corresponding months a year ago.

The maximum upward pressure in current index came from Fuel & Light group contributing 0.40 percentage points to the total change. It was further supplemented by Miscellaneous group contributing 0.15 percentage points to the total rise. At item level, Cooking Gas, Petrol, Poultry Chicken, Edible Oils, Apple, Orange, Tea Leaf, Served & Processed Packaged Food, etc. are responsible for the rise in index. However, this increase was mostly checked by vegetables putting downward pressure on the index.

At centre level, Jamshedpur and Sangrur recorded maximum increase of 3.0 points each. Among others, 4 centres observed an increase between 2 to 2.9 points, 22 centres between 1 to 1.9 points and 45 centres between 0 to 0.9 points. On the contrary, Doom-Dooma Tinsukia recorded a maximum decrease of 3.2 points. Among others, 2 centres observed a decline between 2.0 to 2.9 points, another 2 centres between 1 to 1.9 points and remaining 10 centres between 0 to 0.9 points.

Year-on-year inflation for the month stood at 5.64 per cent compared to 4.48 per cent for the previous month and 5.50 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year. Similarly, Food inflation stood at 5.36 per cent against 4.64 per cent of the previous month and 6.67 per cent during the corresponding month a year ago.

Y-o-Y Inflation based on CPI-IW (Food and General)

All-India Group-wise CPI-IW for February and March, 2021

Sr. No.	Groups	Feb., 2021	Mar., 2021
I	Food & Beverages	117.9	118.0
II	Pan, Supari, Tobacco & Intoxicants	135.8	136.5
III	Clothing & Footwear	118.4	118.7
IV	Housing	115.2	115.2
V	Fuel & Light	142.0	149.2
VI	Miscellaneous	117.6	118.1
	General Index	119.0	119.6

*Rounded upfrom second decimal place.

CPI-IW: Groups Indices

Speaking about the latest index, Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment Shri Santosh Gangwar said the rise in index will result into increased wages of working class population by way of increase in dearness allowance payable to them. The rise in inflation reported during March, 2021 is mainly due to rise in prices of Petroleum products and Edible Oils.

Director General of Labour Bureau Shri DPS Negi said “The rise in inflation during March, 2021 has been observed across the board in respect of various price indices released by other Government agencies.

Shri Negi, further elaborated that rise is mainly due to, Fuel & Light, Miscellaneous and Food & Beverages items like Cooking Gas, Petrol, Poultry Chicken, Edible Oils, Apple, Tea Leaf, Served & Processed Packaged Food, etc. which experienced rise in prices.    

The next issue of CPI-IW for the month of April, 2021 will be released on Monday 31st May, 2021. The same will also be available on the office website www.labourbureaunew.gov.in.

Labour Bureau, an attached office of the M/o Labour & Employment, is releasing Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) on Base: 2016=100 for the month of March, 2021. The All-India Index for March, 2021 stood at 119.6 compared to 119.0 for February, 2021. The rate of inflation increased during the month to 5.64 per cent from 4.48 percent in the previous month.

Labour Bureau, inter-alia, compiles and releases CPI-IW every month. It is primarily used for measuring Dearness Allowance (DA) payable to government employees and pensioners and workers in the organized sector.

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MS/jk