New Delhi, Dec 13 || The consumer price index (CPI) inflation is likely to average 2.5 per cent this fiscal (FY26) and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will stay data dependent on future rate decisions, especially amid an uncertain global backdrop, according to a Crisil report.
Inflation based on CPI quickened to 0.7 per cent in November from 0.3 per cent in October, driven by the slower pace of deflation in the food and beverages category and a pick-up in fuel and light inflation.
Core inflation excluding gold — a better indicator for measuring demand-side price pressures and assessing the impact of goods and services tax (GST) rationalisation — eased slightly again in November (2.5 per cent compared to 2.6 per cent).
It was helped by the continuing pass-through of lower GST rates on mass consumption goods, said the report.
The surge in gold inflation (58.5 per cent compared to 57.8 per cent), though, kept core inflation steady at 4.3 per cent.