Retail inflation increased to four-month high of 5.08 per cent in June as food items, including vegetables became dearer, according to government data released on Friday. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) based retail inflation was on a decline since January, before rising again in June. The CPI-based retail inflation was 4.8 per cent in May 2024 and 4.87 per cent in June 2023.
Rediff.com brings you monsoon images from across the country
The southwest monsoon has picked up pace, and is now on the verge of covering almost the entire country.
The monsoon this year in India was likely to be 'below normal' at 95% of LPA: Skymet
The Northern Railways said it has cancelled around 17 trains and diverted around 12 others, while traffic has been suspended at four locations due to waterlogging.
The central bank, however, warned that the downside risks to growth could play out if global recovery slows.
India's leading commodity exchange, National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), and private weather forecasting company Skymet took a significant step towards launching the country's first tradeable weather index on Monday (August 14) by entering into an agreement to deepen their understanding of the impact that weather has on agricultural commodities. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between NCDEX and Skymet is a profound step in the direction of linking farmers with the weather in a scientific way, according to an official statement. Sources indicate that NCDEX and Skymet will conduct workshops and seminars across the country to educate farmers about how they can scientifically use weather forecasts to hedge risks.
Automobile retail sales in India declined 9 per cent year-on-year in September amid a massive buildup of passenger vehicle inventory due to sluggish demand, dealer's body FADA said on Monday, urging original equipment manufacturers to take corrective steps. The overall registrations declined to 17,23,330 units last month from 18,99,192 units in September 2023, as most of the categories including passenger vehicles and two-wheelers witnessed a year-on-year (Y-O-Y) drop.
The onset of monsoons in Jalpaiguri in West Bengal raised hopes for the farmers waiting to sow their crops. The region received almost 300 mm of rainfall in the past two days.
Sales of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) witnessed significant recovery in September after enduring a double-digit decline in August, according to data furnished by Bizom. Kirana stores in rural areas stocked up in preparation for the festival season, which began in September. This, combined with rainfall reaching 113 per cent of the long-perid average for the month, contributed to a boost in sales.
Many parts of the country have received good rainfall and others, including the capital where the monsoon has not moved in so far, woke up to pre-monsoon showers on Wednesday.
During the four-month monsoon period, India recorded the highest rainfall since 1994, according to the India Meteorological Department.
Retail inflation fell to a 15-month low of 5.66 per cent in March, mainly due to a decline in food prices, government data showed on Wednesday. The inflation figure in March is within the RBI's comfort zone as it is below 6 per cent. The retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 6.44 per cent in February 2023 and 6.95 per cent in the year-ago period.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said the country is on an "upward curve" and a good monsoon, GST passage and increased infra and rural spending will further accelerate the growth.
Computers, Kalam said were going to give us a challenge. Not only the biologists, neurologists and psychologists but the entire scientific community would have greater responsibility of keeping mankind above man-made computers.
An alert of "very heavy" rainfall in Mumbai has been issued by the Indian Meteorological Department's regional centre on Tuesday, with the rains expected to intensify in the next 24 hours.
The rains have so far been four per cent below normal.
Kharif sowing till June 20 almost 18 per cent less than last year; 328 districts under watch, based on rains in the first 15 days
For the second successive day, not a single ball could be bowled at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports complex in Greater Noida putting the venue under scanner and making it an international embarrassment.
Rainfall in the week ended August 29 was about six per cent more than normal and the best weekly rains in the southwest monsoon season this year. This helped ease concern on drought across several parts of the country.
Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Gujarat, have been left out, despite a strong start to the monsoon in June
There is good news for the Central government, which is struggling to rein in inflation. Monsoon rains were more than normal in June and the government can hope for a better kharif crop, which in turn may help reduce inflation.
As the monsoon recedes from most of India, Guwahati was flooded after incessant rainfall.
More than half of India's farms lack irrigation and millions of farmers still depend on the vagaries of the monsoon rains
The study revealed that the rise in temperatures leads to a decline in the transmission of the virus.
Timely onset of south-west monsoon is crucial for kharif (summer) crops.
The state government has declared a holiday on Wednesday and Thursday for all private institutions, offices, non-essential services within Outer Ring Road here in view of rains.
A good monsoon would translate into demand pickup across multiple sectors.
The national capital has been witnessing an incessant spell of light to moderate rain for the past two days.
But the IMD said the heat wave will continue till then in parts of the country.
The country received 14 mm rainfall from June 1-6 as against 19.9 mm, the normal.
The impact of weak monsoon so far this year on India's farm production and economy is likely to be limited, the central bank said, as rainfall levels have improved considerably over the past one month.
Waterlogging has been reported in several parts of city.
He assured fears of food shortages were far-fetched.
Assocham-Skymet report says untimely rain may reappear in north India.
The Indian Meteorological Department announced that conditions are favourable for further advancement of monsoon to some parts of southwest Bay of Bengal
A deep depression over the Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm, named Remal, on Saturday evening and is likely to turn severe before making landfall between the coasts of West Bengal and Bangladesh on Sunday midnight, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
The meteorological department in India has predicted that there will be normal monsoon rains next month that will result in better crops for the country's 234 million farmers.
The arrival of the June-September rains has been delayed.
