Retail inflation accelerated to 4.82 per cent in August, driven largely by higher onion and other food prices, and remained above the Reserve Bank of India’s medium-term target of 4 per cent for the third consecutive month.Wholesale price index (WPI)-based inflation also inched up to 9.92 per cent from 9.78 per cent in July, according to government data released on Monday.The consumer price index (CPI)-based retail inflation was 4.45 per cent in July. August retail inflation is the highest since the new series, with base year 2024, came into effect from January. Higher CPI reading will be a key factor in deciding policy rates when the RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meets on October 5 to 7.Retail food inflation in August climbed to 5.95 per cent from 5.52 in the preceding month. Inflation in onions rose to 48.27 per cent in August against 22.54 per cent in July.After August MPC meeting, the RBI had kept key short-term policy rates unchanged amid inflation worries. It had projected the CPI inflation for 2026-27 at 5 per cent, with Q2 at 4.7 per cent, Q3 at 5.9 per cent, and Q4 at 5.5 per cent.The government has mandated the RBI to ensure CPI-based inflation remains at 4 per cent, with a margin of 2 per cent on either side.Meanwhile, WPI inflation in the food index increased to 7.05 per cent in August from 6.65 per cent in July. Inflation in manufactured products touched a new series high of 8.37 per cent, up from 8.29 per cent in the previous month. Inflation in the fuel and power basket stood at 22.93 per cent in August.“Across groups, mineral oils (containing petroleum products), food articles, manufacture of food products, manufacture of basic metals, non-food articles, and manufacture of chemicals and chemical products were the major drivers of WPI inflation in August 2026,” the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said while releasing the data.In July, wholesale inflation had eased marginally to 9.78 per cent from 9.87 per cent in June due to lower prices of fuel, electricity and food items.Meanwhile, the Congress criticised the government over persistently high wholesale inflation, alleging that it had failed to address falling real incomes and rising prices of essential commodities. Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X that WPI inflation had remained close to 10 per cent for four consecutive months, causing hardship to millions of households.“Official data just released shows that for four consecutive months now the WPI inflation has been hovering around 10 per cent. Prices of all essential commodities have continued their upward rise, causing huge hardships to crores of families,” he wrote.