New Delhi, Feb 15 (IANS): A dip in food and fuel prices decelerated the rise in India's annual rate of inflation based on wholesale prices to 2.84 per cent in January, official data showed on Thursday.

According to the wholesale price index (WPI) data furnished by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the rate of inflation had risen by 3.58 per cent in December 2017 and 4.26 per cent during the corresponding month of last year.

On a sequential basis, the expenses on primary articles, which constitute 22.62 per cent of the WPI's total weightage, edged higher by 2.37 per cent, from an increase of 3.86 per cent in December 2017.

Similarly, the prices of food articles dipped. The category has a weightage of 15.26 per cent in the WPI index. It rose by three per cent from an acceleration of 4.72 per cent.

In addition, the cost on fuel and power category, which commands a 13.15 per cent weightage in the index increased at a slower pace of 4.08 per cent from a growth of 9.16 per cent.

However, expenses on manufactured products registered a rise of 2.78 per cent from 2.61 per cent.