New Delhi, March 18 -- India's wholesale price index (WPI)-based inflation inched up to 2.38 per cent in February from 2.31 per cent in January, driven by an increase in manufactured product prices and a narrowing deflation in fuel costs, according to government data released on Monday.

The rise in WPI inflation was mainly influenced by higher prices in the manufactured products category, which holds a significant weight of 64.2 per cent in the index. Inflation in this segment increased to 2.86 per cent in February from 2.51 per cent in January.

Notable price hikes were observed in food products (11.06 per cent), vegetable and animal fats (33.6 per cent), tobacco (2.74 per cent), paper products (2.1 per cent), chemicals and chemical pro...