Heading to the third year, will Urjit Patel be busy firefighting a currency crisis? Almost no governor of the RBI managed to evade it and Patel perhaps knows it.
People who advocate a rate hike because inflation is very high, even without the food component, have in mind some developed-economy structure, Raghuram Rajan tells Business Standard in an exclusive interview.
The RBI's assessment of the economy, presented as a prelude to the policy announcement, was relatively downbeat. Conceding the persistence of a hostile global environment and domestic weakness, the RBI expects GDP growth during 2009-10 to be 6 per cent. This is slightly higher than the 5.7 per cent that reflects the median of its external forecasters' survey.
For five consecutive policy reviews in 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) chose to hold rates, citing inflation threat. And when the prices did cool off a bit, it reminded all about the target to get the headline consumer price inflation at 4 per cent and the risks from food inflation. Heading into the new year, all eyes are on when RBI will cut the rates, especially after one of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) members stressed on the need for such an action in the face of the US Federal Reserve's guidance for easing rates.
This time the all-powerful interest-rate setting panel, whose constitution was notified by the government on Thursday, will take call on interest rate. But that's not the only change. The Reserve Bank of India has also decided to change the timing of announcement of its policy review, due next Tuesday, to mid-afternoon.
RBI Governor cautioned against more volatility.
Investors believe Indian is a tough place to do business with.
Following the meeting, Subbarao said the central bank will look into the latest inflation numbers before coming out with the monetary policy review.
Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das will hold a meeting with CEOs of public sector banks on Wednesday to discuss issues concerning slow deposit growth and sustainability of high credit demand. As per the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, deposits rose by 9.6 per cent as compared to 10.2 per cent on a year-on-year basis, while credit offtake witnessed a jump of 17.9 per cent as against 6.5 per cent a year ago. According to an agenda circulated for the meeting, sources said, sustainability, including pricing and slow growth of deposits, would be discussed.
Reserve Bank of India Governor Duvvuri Subbarao is not interested in carrying on in his present job after his term ends in September next year.
The meeting comes ahead of a fresh stimulus package aimed at sectors not covered in the earlier measures announced by the central bank and the government.
.jpg)
The RBI has bought Rs 124.62 billion worth of bonds since its announcement on Aug. 20 that it would occasionally buy bonds to relieve some of the cash tightness in the banking system.
The Union Budget's focus on capital expenditure is expected to crowd-in private investment and push the GDP growth rate close to 7 per cent in the next financial year beginning April 1, said a Reserve Bank article on 'State of the Economy'. In 2023-24, capital expenditure is budgeted at Rs 10 lakh crore which will constitute 3.3 per cent of GDP. "We believe that India will decouple from macroeconomic projections of current vintage and also from the rest of the world.
Inflation is a big concern for India, says RBI chief Raghuram Rajan.
Fintech companies believe that the impact of Reserve Bank of India's order last week on unsecured loans will be visible in six to 12 months and prompt them to diversify and strengthen their secured portfolio. Fintechs which source funds through banks or non-banking finance companies (NBFCs) are looking at quickly building their secured portfolio options to at least 40 per cent of their total portfolio. "Over the medium to long term, as part of our product strategy, we are evaluating secured products which can be enabled over a digital platform" said Yogi Sadana, the founder of Zype, a lending-focussed fintech.
Reserve Bank of India governor D Subbarao said the rapid expansion of the government borrowing programme was coming in the way of the central bank's monetary policy objective of a lower interest rate regime and called for more independence for the central bank.
Shares are likely to remain volatile in the week ahead as uncertainty heightens over Syria.
Shares are likely to remain volatile in the week ahead as uncertainty heightens over Syria.
Rajan was treated as the messiah who would rescue India from its current economic mess of growth stagnancy and high inflation.
Probably 35 bps. There could be even an encore in February 2023 to take the policy rate to 6.5% before the financial year ends, predicts Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
Rajan has already warned he does not have a 'magic wand' to deal with India's economic crisis.
The solution to Manipur's problems lies in the government giving concessions to Meitis in jobs and education and to accept autonomy for the tribal dominated areas inhibited by the Kukis, suggests Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
'One by one we are seeing these private banks taking people's money and mismanaging it.' 'In the last 30 years, 30 private banks have collapsed.' 'Nationalise all banks so that people's money is safe.'
Retail inflation jumped to a 15-month high of 7.44 per cent in July as prices of vegetables and other food items spiked, according to official data released on Monday. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflation was at 4.87 in June and 6.71 per cent in July 2022. Previously, high inflation was recorded at 7.79 per cent in April 2022.
NPA issues in the banking sector, standoffs in Parliament denting the reform momentum and limited space on the fiscal side are among the major concerns for investors.
The proposed four per cent inflation target is onerous, considering India is currently battling near-double-digit increases in prices.
Twenty-six entities, including the Tatas, Aditya Birla Group, Anil Ambani-led Reliance Capital and Religare, apart from India Post, applied. Videocon Group, later on withdrew its application.
Though there is no formal agenda for the meeting, it is generally conducted to get bankers' views on the macro economic scenario and credit and deposit growth. The apex bank also point out its concerns, if any, on specific issues.
Most members of the Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy committee (MPC) decided to stick to the course on bringing retail inflation to the target of 4 per cent while voting for maintaining status quo in the April review, except external member Jayanth Varma who voted for a 25 bps cut in the repo rate. "I believe that the extant monetary policy setting is well positioned," RBI governor Shaktikanta Das said in the minutes of the policy review, which came out on Friday. "Monetary policy transmission is continuing and inflation expectations of households are also getting further anchored.
Expectations for a rate cut had gathered momentum this week after inflation slowed to its lowest level in three years.
Strong dollar will impact financial system in India.
In short, if India Inc lives up to the expectations in the required measure of resilience, innovation, initiative, imagination and leadership, it can help harmonise the imperatives of growth with control of inflation.
The Reserve Bank of India Governor Duvvuri Subbarao's caution that the central bank will intervene if foreign inflows are 'lumpy and volatile' has calmed the rupee a bit. The local currency on Monday closed at 44.41 per dollar, compared to 44.44 per dollar on Friday. The rupee, which has gained about 5.7 per cent since the beginning of September, traded at its five-month high.
Dhoot stated that Value Industries has not withdrawn the application and has only sought clarifications from RBI on certain issues.
