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The Reserve Bank's rate-setting panel started its three-day brainstorming on monetary policy as expectations are high of a 25 bps or even a jumbo 50 bps rate cut to fuel economic growth amid uncertainties created by Trump's tariff moves. The decision of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), headed by Reserve Bank Governor Sanjay Malhotra, will be announced on Friday. The RBI reduced the key interest rate (repo) by 25 bps each in February and April, bringing it to 6 per cent. This could be the third back-to-back reduction in the short-term benchmark lending rate. In response to the 50-bps cut in the policy repo rate since February 2025, most of the banks have reduced their repo-linked external benchmark-based lending rates (EBLRs) and marginal cost of funds-based lending rate (MCLR). Experts are of the view that the RBI may reduce the repo rate by 25 bps on Friday and another similar cut in the next policy. However, an SBI research expects the central bank to go in for a "jumbo" rat
Reserve Bank Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Saturday said that the market forces decide the value of rupee with respect to the US dollar and the central bank is not worried about day-to-day movement of the currency value. Addressing the media after the meeting of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with the Reserve Bank board, Malhotra said that the central bank focuses on the value of the rupee in the medium to long term. On the impact of the depreciation of the rupee against the US dollar on price rise, the Governor said 5 per cent depreciation impacts domestic inflation to the extent of 30-35 bps. He further said that RBI took on board the current rupee-dollar rate while working out growth and inflation projections for the next financial year. Replying to a question, Finance Minister Sitharaman said the Union Cabinet has cleared the new income tax proposal and she hopes to have it introduced in the Lok Sabha in the coming Week. Thereafter it will be sent to a parliamentary standin