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Surplus liquidity in the banking system narrowed sharply to its lowest level in nearly three months, weighed down by advance tax outflows, despite liquidity support measures undertaken by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). According to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data analysed by PTI, surplus liquidity in the banking system dropped sharply to Rs 4,772.21 crore on June 17, from Rs 23,881.21 crore on June 16. The liquidity surplus reported on June 17 was the lowest level since March 22, 2026, when the banking system was in a liquidity deficit of Rs 65,395.64 crore, the RBI data shows. Experts attributed the narrowing of liquidity to outflows on account of advance tax payments. Further, they added that the central bank may conduct more VRR (variable rate repo) auctions in the coming days to support liquidity in the banking system. The tightening liquidity conditions have pushed the weighted average call money rate above the RBI's repo rate of 5.25 per cent. To ease liquidity pressures
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday injected Rs 81,590 crore transient liquidity into the banking system through a three-day variable rate repo (VRR) auction. Transient liquidity is temporary cash flow fluctuations in a financial or banking system, while a Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auction is a monetary tool used by the RBI to inject short-term liquidity into the banking system. In a release the RBI said the funds were infused at a 5.26 per cent cut-off rate. The demand for funds still remained lower than the notified amount of Rs 1 lakh crore despite the sharp drop in liquidity surplus in the banking system. However, in comparison with the previous auction conducted on May 21, the demand is higher from banks in Friday's auction. Currently, the liquidity in the banking system is estimated to be in surplus of around Rs 58,876.29 crore as on May 21, as compared to Rs 1.51 lakh crore as on May 20. The tightness in the liquidity surplus has led to a sharp uptick in the overnight
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday pulled out Rs 2,00,031 crore transient liquidity from the banking system through a seven-day variable rate reverse repo (VRRR) auction. The central bank had received higher bids worth Rs 2,28,098 crore than the notified amount of Rs 2 lakh crore in the auction. The RBI accepted the bid at a 5.24 per cent cut-off rate and 5.23 per cent weighted average rate. Currently, the liquidity in the banking system is estimated to be in surplus of around Rs 4.09 lakh crore. Before this, the central bank had conducted a seven-day VRRR auction on April 10 and pulled out Rs 2,00,041 crore of transient liquidity from the banking system. These funds were reversed today into the banking system. "Going ahead, we will continue to be proactive and pre-emptive in liquidity management and ensure sufficient liquidity in the banking system to meet the productive requirements of the economy," RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said during the April monetary policy.