STORY: India's wholesale inflation, merchandise exports rise in Dec.
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 15, 2024
DATELINE: Jan. 17, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:45
LOCATION: New Delhi
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the India Gate 
2. various of wholesale markets
3. various of gems and jewellery
4. various of electronic goods

STORYLINE:

India's wholesale price index (WPI) rose 0.73 percent year on year in December 2023, data released by the country's Ministry of Commerce and Industry said Monday.

The positive rate of inflation in December is primarily due to an increase in the prices of food, machinery and equipment, transport equipment and computers, electronics and optical products, etc., the ministry said in a statement.

WPI inflation, an indicator of prices in the wholesale market, rises or falls mainly due to steep increases or decreases in commodity prices globally.

Meanwhile, India's merchandise exports in December 2023 were registered at 38.45 billion U.S. dollars, rising 1 percent year on year, said the statement.

Major contributors to exports' growth include Engineering Goods, Iron Ore, Gems & Jewellery, Electronic Goods and Drugs and Pharmaceuticals, said the statement.

Engineering goods worth 10.04 billion U.S. dollars were exported during December 2023, which was described as the highest monthly export of engineering goods in the current financial year so far. India's financial year begins on April 1 every year and ends on March 31 of the subsequent year.

The official statement also said that India's overall trade deficit during April-December improved by 35.87 percent year on year to 69.34 billion U.S. dollars in 2023, while merchandise trade deficit improved by 11.45 percent year on year to 188.02 billion U.S. dollars in the same period.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from New Delhi.
(XHTV)