Expert Views: India's retail inflation eases to 4.44 percent in February

MUMBAI (Reuters) - India's annual retail inflation eased for a second straight month in February to 4.44 percent as food prices fell, government data showed on Monday.

Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast February's consumer price inflation to ease to 4.80 percent from 5.07 percent in the previous month.

RUPA REGE NITSURE, GROUP CHIEF ECONOMIST, L&T FINANCE HOLDINGS, MUMBAI

"My CPI projection again spot on at 4.4 percent led by a sharp fall in food inflation exactly predicted by me at 3.38 percent. This is led by a sharp correction in vegetable prices and continued disinflation in pulses. What is noteworthy is that this low reading is despite an unfavourable statistical base. This clearly shows that inflation is not a serious risk for India. IIP growth is still very skewed and facilitated by favourable statistical base."

(Reporting by Vishal Sridhar in Bengaluru)