New Delhi

Retail inflation inched up to 4.45 per cent in July, largely driven by higher food prices, according to government data released on Wednesday.

The consumer price index (CPI) based retail inflation was 4.38 per cent in June.

Food inflation in July rose to 5.52 per cent from 5.32 per cent in the preceding month, according to CPI data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO).

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The Reserve Bank of India, which has been tasked with ensuring CPI remains at 4 per cent with a margin of 2 per cent on either side, had kept the short-term lending rate unchanged earlier this month, citing inflationary concerns.