Poll: India’s inflation likely accelerated to 18-month high in April

Upward pressure: A vendor stacks mangoes at a stall in Bangalore. India’s food inflation reached a multi-month high in March and is expected to remain elevated due to higher vegetable and cooking oil prices globally. — AFP

BENGALURU: India’s retail inflation likely surged to an 18-month high in April, largely driven by rising fuel and food prices and staying well above the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) upper tolerance limit for a fourth consecutive month, a Reuters poll found.

The jump has been long anticipated following the Indian government’s decision to wait until after key state elections in March to hike fuel prices. Energy prices globally have soared since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in late February.