The Burden of Inflation

Inflation in India has hit a 13-year high, but you wouldn't know that as you walk around the Infiniti Mall in Andheri, a Mumbai suburb. The young men and women — many of whom are aspiring models and film stars (the Bollywood studios are not far from here) — are crowding in with their cell phones and laptops, and the place looks as busy as ever.

Visiting a stall that serves bhelpuri — a mix of puffed rice, dough, tomato and coriander that is the quintessential Mumbai snack — I find that the price has gone up from...