NEW DELHI, April 15 Reuters India39;s wholesale pricebased inflation in March rose 0.53, its highest level in three months, mainly driven by food and primary articles, government data showed.

That slightly outpaced the 0.51 rise expected by economists polled by Reuters and increased from a 0.20 yearonyear rise in February.

Food prices rose 4.65 year on year compared with an increase of 4.09 in February, while prices of primary articles were up 4.51 against a 4.49 rise in the previous month.

Manufactured product prices fell 0.85 against a 1.27 drop in the previous month. Fuel and power prices fell 0.77 compared with a 1.59 drop in February.

For the fiscal year ended March 31 the wholesale inflation index fell 0.70 versus a 9.41 rise the previous year.

Last week, government data showed the country39;s annual retail inflation rate eased in March to a fivemonth low helped by a drop in fuel prices.

Reporting by Sarita Chaganti Singh; editing by Christian Schmollinger and Jason Neely

Source Reuters