Head of state-run Indian Bank T M Bhasin had called for a CRR cut.
The Reserve Bank of India, which has already raised the cash reserve ratio (CRR) thrice since December last year, is contemplating another hike, though only on incremental deposits this time.
Reserve Bank of India Governor D Subbarao surely knows how to crack a joke even on as mundane a topic as the cash reserve ratio (CRR).
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Currently, the cash reserve ratio is pegged at a low of 4 per cent, while statutory liquidity ratio that includes securities such as government bonds, stands at 23 per cent, down from 25 per cent in 2010.
The liquidity in the banking system could ease in the coming week due to an increase in government spending - a development that would be the key for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to decide whether to extend the incremental cash reserve ratio (I-CRR) mandate for banks. There are signs of improvement in the liquidity scenario as banks parked Rs 25, 833 crore with the RBI on Thursday. Market participants expect liquidity to gradually improve by the end of the month or during the first week of September, aided by government spending.
For over a decade, HDFC Bank consistently outperformed industry growth rates in both deposits and advances, maintaining impeccable asset quality. Amid a landscape where other banks struggled with soaring non-performing assets (NPAs), HDFC Bank thrived, eventually surpassing ICICI Bank to become the largest private sector lender in India. Its net interest margin (NIM) remained stable in the range of 4.1-4.4 per cent.
Ahead of RBI's monetary policy review, SBI on Monday expressed hope the apex bank will cut interest rates by 0.5 per cent and CRR by up to one per cent to boost sagging growth.
Explaining the rationale behind the regulatory mandate, the deputy governor, who looks after banking supervision, apart from a host of other departments at the central bank, said the CRR is charged on banks because only they can create money.
Any liquid money that gold replaces for CRR or SLR compliance will allow banks to use this 'extra' cash for lending to borrowers
Last year SBI's credit growth was 15.6 per cent.
Nearly three years after the Reserve Bank of India began its move towards a soft interest rate regime, the trend is seeing a slow but sure reversal.
To ease liquidity situation, the Reserve Bank today slashed CRR -- the portion of deposits banks are required to keep with the central bank -- by 0.75 percentage points, a step that will infuse Rs 48,000 crore (Rs 480 billion) into the economy.
The banking system's liquidity slipped into deficit for the first time in the current financial year (2023-24) due to the imposition of the Incremental Cash Reserve Ratio (I-CRR) for banks and outflows from goods and services tax (GST) payments, according to dealers. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data shows it injected Rs 23,644 crore on August 21. The last time liquidity was in deficit was on March 27, when the RBI injected Rs 45,575 crore.
The central bank's move will infuse Rs 20,000 crore (Rs 200 billion) into the markets.
"You may probably see some more liquidity controls like the CRR being altered again...if oil prices go beyond tolerable levels..," J&K Bank's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Haseeb A Drabu, told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar in Mumbai.
The Reserve Bank of India has been actively doing OMOs or buyback of government bonds to manage liquidity in the system over the last few months.
With credit demand picking up and liquidity crunch yet to ease, bankers are expecting a cut in key policy ratio - Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) - by one per cent in the mid-term monetary policy review by RBI, a top bank official said.
Though interest rates have peaked, a hike in cash reserve ratio by the Reserve Bank of India cannot be ruled out in the first quarterly review of monetary policy later this month, a top official of a foreign bank said on Monday.
State Bank of India Chairman Pratip Chaudhuri again made a strong pitch for a reduction in banks' Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at the Reserve Bank's mid-quarter review of monetary policy scheduled September 7.
The Reserve Bank has decided to keep the cash reserve ratio (CRR) of scheduled banks unchanged at 4.0 per cent of their net demand and time liabilities and keep the policy repo rate under the liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) unchanged at 7.25 per cent.
Rising interest rates slows down the overall growth in the economy
Last month, RBI slashed cash reserve ratio -- the percentage of deposits that banks have to keep with the RBI -- from 5.5 per cent to 4.75 per cent. With this, the central bank had infused Rs 48,000 crore (Rs 480 billion) into the economy.
Similarly, 51 per cent of 105 market participants polled by RBS said they do not expect a CRR cut in the quarterly policy announcement next Tuesday.
This Tuesday saw an upbeat in the money market.
The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) decision to withdraw the incremental cash reserve ratio (I-CRR) is expected to benefit banks during the festival season. They are likely to increase deposit rates by up to 25 basis points (bps) in select maturity buckets. The rise in demand for funds to cover tax payments and meet quarter-end business targets could influence rate decisions by banks, according to bankers and money market executives.
Hailing Reserve Bank's decision to cut key rates, Plan panel on Tuesday said it would boost investments and hoped the measures will have significant effect on long term borrowing rates.
In its quarterly monetary policy review on January 29, the RBI had announced a 0.75 per cent raise in the cash reserve ratio, or the amount banks need to park with the RBI, from 5 per cent earlier.
According to bankers, this is because the currency demand during the festival season is expected to remain strong.
In its quarterly monetary policy review, RBI had last month retained the CRR at 4.75 per cent and reduced the statutory liquidity ratio -- the amount of deposits banks park in government bonds -- by 1 per cent to 23 per cent, effective August 11.
The banking system neared Rs 1.47 trillion of liquidity deficit on Monday, the highest since January 29, 2020, when the banking system liquidity deficit went up to Rs 3 trillion. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) injected Rs 1.47 trillion on Monday and Rs 1.46 trillion on Tuesday. Market participants say that the disbursement of Rs 25,000 crore as the second tranche of incremental cash reserve ratio (I-CRR) will not be enough, and the liquidity might tighten further to Rs 2 trillion in short term due to tax outflows and arrival of the festival season.
RBI is also considering a proposal to re-introduce inflation-indexed bonds.
Reeling under severe credit crunch, the Indian industry on Friday welcomed the decision of Reserve Bank of India to cut CRR rate by another 100 basis points but said the government and the central bank need to take more steps such as slashing interest rates to restore market confidence.
Financial markets are under stress and require steps by the central bank for market stability and revival of economic growth, he said while announcing the decisions taken by the Monetary Policy Committee in Mumbai.
ICICI Bank Chairman K V Kamath on Thursday disagreed with the suggestion of SBI chief Pratip Chaudhuri that RBI should scrap CRR, saying it is part of the monetary policy and no issue can be made of it.
The principles of central banking in Asia are likely to change. Be prepared for surprises.
"The economy is going through a very difficult patch and business confidence has plummeted. New investments have slowed down," Assocham President Rajkumar Dhoot said during his interaction with RBI Governor D Subbarao ahead of the central bank's monetary policy review scheduled on April 17.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is unlikely to cut the benchmark interest rate at its upcoming monetary policy review meeting, taking place soon after the announcement of the Lok Sabha election results, amid inflation challenges, said experts. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) may also refrain from rate cut as economic growth is picking up, notwithstanding the elevated interest rate of 6.5 per cent (repo) prevailing since February 2023. The meeting of the Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das headed MPC is scheduled for June 5 to 7.
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