The Reserve Bank is likely to maintain status-quo on the key interest rates for the third time in a row in its upcoming bi-monthly policy review despite the US Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank hiking benchmark rates, as domestic inflation is within the RBI's comfort zone, say experts. The borrowing cost which started rising in May last year has stabilised with RBI keeping the repo rate unchanged at 6.5 per cent since February when it was raised from 6.25 per cent. In the previous two bi-monthly policy reviews in April and June the benchmark rate was retained.
Notwithstanding global headwinds, the Indian economy saw further momentum in October on the back of goods and services tax (GST) rate rationalisation and festival spending, as indicated by high-frequency indicators, the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI's) monthly State of the Economy report said.
In the face of hike in repo rate, all leading banks, including State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Corporation Bank and Bank of Baroda, are exploring the possibility of raising deposit and lending rates.
In an event-heavy week, stock investors will track ongoing quarterly earnings, the US Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, and macroeconomic data for market direction, analysts said. Moreover, progress in India-US trade negotiations will remain a key focus for investors, an expert said.
The GST Council at its next meeting may consider a reduction in taxes on air and water purifiers as air quality across the country worsens and access to safe drinking water remains uneven.
'Given that the population is almost evenly split, the Indian economy cannot grow without women participating in the workforce.' 'While women's participation has increased, it is still well below 40 per cent,' says Kartik Narayan, CEO of the professional networking and jobs platform, Apna.
'Do exhaustive research and then select the one that best fits your budget and requirements.'
Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Monday said interest rates on banks loans could be brought down only if inflation was kept under control, even as he noted that inflation had fallen to less than three per cent-level last week.
The rise in consumer price index (CPI) inflation could see the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in an extended pause mode as regards interest rates, and in turn, keep the market rally in check, believe analysts. Signs of inflation cooling off in the US, however, is likely to provide some cushion as the expectations of a change in stance by the US Fed as regards interest rates is likely to aid sentiment. Back home, CPI inflation surged for the first time in five months to 4.81 per cent in June 2023, and was higher than the street's expectations of 4.58 per cent.
A higher-than-expected consumer price inflation (CPI) print for March in the US has dashed hopes of an interest rate cut by the US Federal Reserve (US Fed) in June. Analysts now expect the US central bank to start cutting rates in September, provided inflation remains in check and oil prices remain supportive. The markets, analysts believe, partially factored in this possibility.
Wholesale price inflation (WPI) fell to (-) 1 .21 per cent in October, driven by a decline in prices of food articles like pulses and vegetables, as well as lower fuel and manufactured items' prices, government data showed on Friday.
Assessing where their funds are flowing gives traders a hidden edge in predicting the market direction and momentum.
Advertisers will pay 18 lakh to 25 lakh per 10 seconds, a 10% to 20% increase over the last Asia Cup final.
Hardik Pandya's dazzling performance with both bat and ball powered Baroda to an emphatic 149-run victory against Chandigarh.
Tilak Varma underwent emergency surgery in Rajkot after complaining of severe abdominal pain while playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Hyderabad.
With deposit growth remaining sluggish and the credit - deposit ratio of commercial banks crossing 80 per cent, banks have ramped up their borrowing in the certificate of deposit (CD) market. In the fortnight ended November 14, CD issuances climbed to nearly Rs 55,000 crore - double the borrowings of the preceding two fortnights and the highest since the September 19 fortnight.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed banks to grant need-based working capital loans to manufacturers using gold as raw material, extending the provision currently available only to jewellers. Banks are generally prohibited from lending for the purchase of gold/silver in any form, or lending against the security of primary gold/silver.
Long before Vaishnavi Sharma picked up a cricket ball, she says her future as a cricketer was known to her astrologer father, Narendra Sharma.
The exemption of individual life and health insurance premiums from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) enables the insurance industry to make products affordable and attractive, said Ajay Seth, chairman of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit 2025.
With inflationary expectations on the rise, bankers feel that interest rates would go up further in the coming weeks.
Happy Patel: Khatarnak Jasoos is not supposed to make sense, and doesn't even pretend to, observes Deepa Gahlot.
The Finance Ministry on Thursday said interest rates, now on an upswing, are not prohibitively high to kill growth but felt moderate rates are crucial to spur economic activity.
Where are interest rates expected to go from here? What should the new home buyers do? What should the existing home buyers be aware of?
A reversal of policy at this juncture could jeopardise the recent gains on inflation
'Incidentally, Prime Minister (Modi) and President Trump have also spoken on the phone on eight occasions during 2025, covering different aspects of our wide-ranging partnership'
Three laws passed in Parliament could boost central revenues, reshape GST cess flows, shift MGNREGA costs to states and create new budget headroom ahead of the 2026-2027 Union Budget, points out A K Bhattacharya.
Markets regulator Sebi board on Wednesday approved a series of measures aimed at improving investor convenience, easing compliance norms, and deepening participation in the capital and debt markets.
The government on Friday said interest rates will remain attractive to depositors as well as borrowers and the Reserve Bank of India would address the issue of shortage of lendable money in the system.
Some of the indirect links between interest rates and the stock market and show you how they might affect your life.
Vaa Vaathiyar ends up being a bland yet fascinating iteration of a masala film funnelled through the prism of a quirky humorist, notes Arjun Menon.
A penalty of Rs 91 lakh has been imposed on HDFC Bank for violating certain provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, the Reserve Bank said on Friday. The penalty has been imposed on the private sector lender for deficiencies in statutory and regulatory compliance, including those related to Know Your Customer (KYC).
The word 'zero' is the bait used to lure gullible buyers. In reality, the customer ends up paying an interest rate comparable to that on a consumer durable loan; in some cases, even higher.
Kalamkaval, like any good work of art, suggests more than it shows, raves Arjun Menon.
'Investors can consider staying invested in long duration products as there is a possibility of rate cuts in the near term.' Positive macros - lower inflation, high forex reserves and favourable demand-supply dynamics for government bonds - make a strong case for rate cuts from December, says Devang Shah, head of fixed income, Axis Mutual Fund. In an interview with Abhishek Kumar in Mumbai, Shah says this view may not hold true if commodity prices go up sharply.
A day after the Reserve Bank kept key interest rates unchanged, the International Monetary Fund on Wednesday said further interest rate increases are needed in India with monetary conditions still accommodative and credit expanding strongly.
ICICI Bank chief executive officer and MD K V Kamath on Tuesday said that there is no need to alter interest rates since the demand for credit is not high.
Eighteen new-age technology firms went public during the year, a near triple increase from the five firms that debuted in 2023 and 38 per cent more than 2024's tally of 13.
State-owned Bank of Baroda (BoB) on Sunday said it has cut its benchmark lending rate linked to repo rate by 50 basis points in line with the RBI's rate reduction. Meanwhile, private sector HDFC Bank reduced its Marginal Cost of Funds-based Lending Rates (MCLR) by 10 basis points across tenure, which will benefit borrowers whose loans are linked to this benchmark.
'High taxes have kept away art collectors who will now embrace the new GST.'
India's first maritime lender, state-owned Sagarmala Finance Corporation Ltd (SMFCL) hit the ground running with a Rs 4,300 crore disbursement announcement last Tuesday, within months of being registered as a non-banking financial company (NBFC) in June 2025.
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