India's wholesale prices up 5.7 percent in March

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's wholesale prices rose a lower-than-expected 5.70 percent year-on-year in March, compared with a 0.45 fall a year ago, dragged down by easing fuel prices, government data showed on Monday.

The data compares with a 5.98 percent annual rise forecast by economists in a Reuters poll. In February, prices rose a provisional 6.55 percent, the fastest pace in two-and-a-half years.

Last month, wholesale food prices rose 3.12 percent year-on-year, compared with a provisional 2.69 percent rise in February, the data showed.

(Reporting by Manoj Kumar; Editing by Malini Menon)