Data recap: Delhi’s air, October inflation, earnings report

livemint.com:

Mint in the week gone by. Delhi’s air quality has been worsening by the day since Diwali despite stringent measures taken by the state government. While the year-on-year inflation rate softened in October, retail prices saw the first month-on-month rise in three months.

Last week, just before Diwali, rain brought Delhi some respite from its ‘severe’ air quality. However, the relief was short-lived, as the air quality index (AQI) began worsening from the morning after the festivities, rising from 218 on 12 November to 358 the next day. On Thursday, the AQI was 415, falling back into the ‘severe’ category.

To control the pollution levels, the Delhi government has taken stringent measures, including a prohibition on construction activities and the entry of pollution-emitting trucks. After hitting a recent high of 7.44% in July, India’s retail inflation began softening due to a correction in vegetable prices, especially those of tomatoes, coming in at 4.87% in October. While the inflation rate is continuing to soften, price pressures actually rose in October for the first time in three months, a Mint analysis showed.

On a month-on-month basis, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.65%, with the food index rising 1.06%, which is a cause of concern. ₹2,096 crore: That’s the consolidated revenue EIH Ltd, the flagship company of the Oberoi Group, had generated in 2022-23, up 101% from the preceding year. Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi, who was the executive chairman of the company until last year, died earlier this week at the age of 94.