Retail inflation rose to a 17-month high of 5.69 percent in January this year, but remained within the 6 percent target set for the month by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). 

Retail inflation had climbed to 5.61 percent in December 2015, after hitting a 14-month high of 5.41% in November 2015. 

The increase was primarily on account of rising food prices as measured by the consumer food price index (CFPI) that increased by 6.85 percent in January 2016, as against 6.40 percent in the preceding month and 6.14 percent in January 2015.

Food items, which account for about 46% of the index, have been contributing to the sharp rise in retail inflation for the past few months.

Other items in the index include clothing, footwear, health, transport, education and energy.

Rural inflation at 6.48 percent was higher as compared to 4.81 percent for urban India, though the gap was narrow for food prices.

"With unfavourable base effects on the ebb and benign prices of fruits and vegetables and crude oil, the January 2016 target of 6 percent should be met," the RBI governor Raghuram Rajan had said on Feb. 2 after the sixth bi-monthly monetary policy meeting.