Wholesale pricebased inflation remained nearly flat at 15.18 per cent in June as non-food and fuel prices showed signs of falling but food articles continued to remain costly.

Economists said this could put pressure on retail inflation and the RBI could further tighten the interest rates.

June is the 15th consecutive month when the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) based inflation remained in double-digit. Last month, it touched a record high of 15.88 per cent.

In June 2021, it was 12.07 per cent. In May, the WPI inflation in food articles was 12.34 per cent.

“The very fact that it remained flat indicates that the sustained pressure on inflation due to elevated commodity prices and rising input costs, which are being passed on to the output prices, is continuing. WPI inflation in Q1 FY23 works out to be 15.48 per cent — a historical high,” Sunil Kumar Sinha, principal economist, India Ratings and Research, said.

The retail inflation data showed that it was down by a tad to 7.01 per cent in June from 7.04 per cent in May.

Inflation in food articles in June was 14.39 per cent as prices of vegetables, fruits and potatoes witnessed a sharp spike over the year-ago period.

The rate of price rise in vegetables was 56.75 per cent, while in potatoes and fruits, it was 39.38 and 20.33 per cent, respectively.

The WPI inflation in minerals dropped sharply to 8.55 per cent in June from 33.94 per cent in May.