Inflation stood unchanged for the second consecutive week at 4.4 per cent for the week ended April 17 despite vegetables and tea prices skyrocketing and a marginal hike in some of the manufactured products, including cement.

The point-to-point wholesale price index inflation was substantially higher at 6.53 per cent in the previous year period, indicating a respite for the common man with the basic cost of living coming down during the latest period.

The WPI also stood firm at the previous week's level of 180.5 points mainly due to the stagnant index of manufactured products, which carry the highest weight in the commodities basket, even as prices rose for primary articles. The index was at 172.9 points in the year-ago period.

The week under review witnessed a drastic increase in the price of minerals, but a marginal fall in naphtha.

The government drastically revised upwards the inflation to 6 per cent for the week ended February 21 as compared to the provisional level of 5.94 per cent.

The final WPI during the third week of February stood corrected at 180.1 points as against the provisional figure of 180 points.