India's retail inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), is predicted to stay slightly above 5% until May before decreasing to 3% in July, according to a report by SBI Research.
In February, inflation eased to 5.09%, driven by lower prices in various categories except food. Notably, protein items and vegetable prices surged, while core CPI hit a 52-month low. The RBI has raised the repo rate to 6.5% to curb inflation. Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh contribute significantly to inflation. SBI Research recommends detailed vegetable price publications for better inflation assessment.