Expert Views - India's consumer inflation picks up in February

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's annual consumer price inflation accelerated by a stronger-than-expected 3.65 percent in February, mainly driven by food prices, after touching its lowest level in at least five years in January, government data showed on Tuesday.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected last month's annual retail inflation to come in at 3.58 percent, compared with 3.17 percent in January.

COMMENTARY

TUSHAR ARORA, SENIOR ECONOMIST, HDFC BANK, GURGAON

"For the next four months, at least until June-July, we don't expect inflation number to go beyond 4 percent.

"In the first half, trajectory should remain comfortable in our view. It is only in the second half that we expect inflation numbers to go up. Near-term trajectory is quite comfortable.

"We don't expect rate cuts anymore. We expect status quo in the foreseeable future."

INDRANIL PAN, GROUP ECONOMIST, IDFC BANK, MUMBAI

"We are now at the floor of CPI. The higher wholesale price inflation will gradually get reflected in CPI. Hence we don't see any (RBI) rate movement for the foreseeable future."

(Reporting by Suvashree Dey Choudhury in MUMBAI, and Tanvi Mehta in BENGALURU; Compiled by Rafael Nam)