Retail inflation falls to 5.66% in March as food prices slide

India’s retail inflation, which is measured by consumer price index (CPI), fell to 5.66 per cent in March from 6.44 per cent in February, according to official data released on Wednesday. The retail inflation fell mainly due to sharp slide in food inflation, which stood at 4.79 per cent in March against 5.95 per cent in February. Retail inflation was 6.95 per cent in March 2022. With CPI-based inflation falling below 6 per cent, it is now within the RBI’s tolerance level, which is between 2 per cent to 6 per cent. The RBI has the mandate of keeping inflation at 4 per cent, with a margin of 2 per cent on either side.