Air pollution choking New Delhi has ground outdoor work to a halt and disrupted air travel in the Indian capital.

Delhi's air quality dipped to 'severe' with an AQI of 428, prompting the government to enforce stricter pollution control measures under GRAP Stage 2. Environment Minister Gopal Rai attributed the deteriorating air quality to calm winds and lower temperatures,

Delhi's Environment Minister Gopal Rai announced that strict pollution control measures would be enforced if the air quality, which plunged to 'severe' on Wednesday, worsens. He attributed the situation to calm winds and low temperatures trapping pollutants.

India's wholesale price-based inflation accelerated to a four-month high of 2.36% year on year in October due to elevated food prices, government data released on Thursday showed.

The annual rate of inflation moved higher last month for the first time since March, as expected — but economists say the underlying trend remains favorable for another round of interest rate cuts.

The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report revealed that housing costs accelerated in October, posing a lingering challenge to cool price pressures.