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The finance ministry on Monday said there is room for further easing of interest rate by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as the inflation is comfortably below the central bank's median target of 4 per cent. Retail inflation, based on Consumer Price Index (CPI), has remained below 4 per cent since February and dipped further to more than six-year-low of 2.82 per cent in May. "Core inflation remains subdued, and overall inflation is comfortably below the RBI's 4 per cent target, affording room for the easing cycle to be sustained," said the finance ministry's monthly review report. The central has cumulatively reduced the short-term benchmark lending rate (repo) by 100 basis points since February. The next meeting of the RBI's rate-setting panel -- Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) -- during August 4-6. The RBI has projected headline inflation at 3.4 per cent for the second quarter of the fiscal year, while in the first quarter, actual inflation came below the target of the RBI. "It
The government on Monday left interest rates unchanged for various small savings schemes, including PPF and NSC, for the sixth straight quarter beginning July 1, 2025. "The rates of interest on various Small Savings Schemes for the second quarter of FY 2025-26 starting from 1st July, 2025 and ending on 30th September, 2025 shall remain unchanged from those notified for the first quarter (1st April, 2025 to 30th June, 2025) of FY 2025-26," the finance ministry said in a notification. As per the notification, deposits under the Sukanya Samriddhi scheme will attract an interest rate of 8.2 per cent, while the rate on a three-year term deposit remains at 7.1 per cent prevailing in the current quarter. The interest rates for popular Public Provident Fund (PPF) and post office savings deposit schemes, too, have been retained at 7.1 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively. The interest rate on the Kisan Vikas Patra will be 7.5 per cent, and the investments will mature in 115 months. The ..
The government has ratified the rate of interest on employees' provident fund at 8.25 per cent for FY25, enabling retirement fund body EPFO to deposit the annual interest accumulation in the post-retirement funds of over 7 crore subscribers. EPFO, on February 28, had decided to retain the interest rate of 8.25 per cent on employees' provident fund (EPF) deposits for the financial year 2024-25, equal to the rate provided in the preceding fiscal. The approved rate of interest for 2024-25 was sent for concurrence of the Ministry of Finance. "Ministry of Finance has given concurrence to 8.25 per cent rate of interest on the EPF for 2024-25 fiscal year and labour ministry sent a communication regarding this to the EPFO on Thursday," a labour ministry official told PTI. Now the interest amount as per the rate ratified for FY25 will be credited into the accounts of over seven crore subscribers of EPFO. The decision on interest rate was taken at the 237th meeting of the central board of ..
Indian exporters are grappling with significant liquidity challenges due to high interest rates and a decline in export finance, which are undermining their competitiveness, according to Sanjay Budhia, Chairman of the CII National Committee on EXIM. To address these issues, he said, the government and banks must work together to provide effective solutions. Budhia suggested the government extend the interest equalisation scheme, which ended on December 31, 2024, for three years for all manufacturing exporters, including MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises). The longer period extension of the scheme would be a crucial step, as its limited extension leaves Indian manufacturers at a disadvantage, he added. "Exporters are indeed facing significant challenges on the liquidity front, with high interest rates and declining export finance impacting their competitiveness," he told PTI. MSME exporters, who form the backbone of India's export ecosystem, would benefit greatly from ...