India's inflation rose to 9.89 pc in February

New Delhi: Driven by increasing food prices, India's annual rate of inflation, based on the wholesale price index, rose to 9.89 per cent in February from 8.56 per cent in the previous month, official data revealed on Monday.

The annual inflation rate was 3.5 per cent in February 2009.

The latest data released by the commerce ministry showed food prices jumped 17.79 per cent last month, while those for primary articles rose 15.54 per cent. Manufactured products were up 7.42 per cent.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on March 5 admitted in parliament that price rise was a cause of worry and assured the house that all possible steps were being taken to contain it.

In January, India's central bank, the Reserve Bank of India, had raised its forecast for wholesale price inflation for the current year ending on March 31 to 8.5 per cent from 6.5 per cent.

The government has also completed its market borrowings of Rs 4.51 trillion ($9 billion) for the current fiscal.