Page 43 - Inflation

Inflation may ease in March on softening food prices, says poll

Food inflation, which accounts for nearly half of the overall consumer price basket, is expected to have moderated due to falling vegetable prices, offset in part by surging cereal prices

Statsguru: Six charts show higher crude prices tend to push up inflation

The quantity of crude that India imported was 6 per cent lower in 2021-22 at 212 million tonnes compared to 2018-19

Rolling the dice on growth

As the inflation rate declines, India has paused its interest rate hikes and there is optimism in the air that we have crossed the cyclical hump of a slowdown and should enjoy strong growth

FY24 kicks off a fresh cycle for Indian banking

Inflation remains a worry in the world's fifth-largest economy but, at the moment, no risk is seen for financial sector stability

Rajasthan govt to conduct camps to highlight public welfare, relief schemes

The Rajasthan government will organise camps in urban wards and villages from April 24 to highlight its public welfare and inflation relief schemes, it said in a statement on Saturday. Along with the 'Prashashan Shehro-Gaon Ke Sang' campaign, inflation relief camps will be organised in villages and cities from April 24 to June 30. At the camps, the general public and the deprived sections will be linked to the schemes based on their eligibility. The camps, which will be organised in 11,283 gram panchayats and 7,500 urban wards, will include special inflation relief camps. Permanent inflation relief camps will also come up at 2,000 locations, including state-run hospitals, gas agencies, bus stands, major markets, shopping malls, government offices and public places. On Saturday, Chief Secretary Usha Sharma held a meeting at the secretariat regarding the camps and gave necessary instructions on their conduct.

India's food inflation bites harder as risks build for global supplies

Its average citizen is more affected than people in peer economies

Household inflation expectations moderate, consumer confidence grows: RBI

The survey showed that household spending was buoyant on the back of higher essential and non-essential spending

Reserve Bank of India goes for a hawkish pause

The RBI has paused because it wants to evaluate the cumulative impact of the past rate hikes

Inflation kept at 6% or below despite adverse circumstances, says FM

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said the inflation has been kept at six per cent or below despite adverse circumstances as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Price rise is a matter on which the Centre is very sensitive and responsive, she said. Sitharaman said the pandemic and the conflict had a bearing on the prices of commodities which India import, adding that the government has taken measures including giving subsidies. Will you compare the situation prevailing everywhere, particularly after COVID, particularly after Russia and Ukraine war? The (prices of) commodities we import are all sky-rocketing. They are not produced in India. We totally import. Is that price rise mine? But that price hits me. And there, I have to give support, the Minister said. Even in this adverse circumstances inflation has been kept at six per cent or below. There are times it goes up. Then we work together with RBI and say please control it, ...

A prudent comma, not a myopic full stop!

The RBI has not used the word stickiness in its policy statement while characterising core inflation, but instead used "unyielding core inflation"

Inflation seen easing in March to 5.80% on softening food price rises

Forecasts ranged from 5.40% to 6.40%, with a quarter of survey respondents predicting inflation above 6.00%. It was 6.52% in January and spent most of last year above 6.00%

This is a pause, not a pivot, says RBI guv on surprise hold in key rates

Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday made it clear that the decision to hold rates should be seen as a pause, and not as a pivot. The rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) will act on the rates as and when necessary, Das said. "If I have to characterise today's monetary policy in just one line...it's a pause, not a pivot," Das told reporters in the customary interaction with reporters after the announcement of the policy review. Earlier in the day, the six-member MPC voted unanimously to keep the repurchase or repo rate unchanged at 6.50 per cent, surprising analysts who were expecting the central bank to make a final 25 basis points hike before opting to pause. Das said RBI is keen to assess the cumulative impact of the rate actions done till now. There has been a cumulative hike of 250 basis points since May 2022. Deputy Governor Michael Patra said RBI has marginally upped its FY24 growth estimate to 6.5 per cent primarily on assumption of a decline in the ..

MPC lowers projection for inflation, raises growth outlook a bit in FY24

Volatility in global financial market has potential upsides for imported inflation, says committee

Fight against inflation far from over: RBI projects FY24 inflation at 5.2%

The Reserve Bank on Thursday projected marginal easing in retail inflation to 5.2 per cent in the current fiscal, but cautioned that the fight against inflation is far from over. Although the Reserve Bank pared its inflation estimate from its February projection of 5.3 per cent, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said the inflation outlook remains dynamic amid the recent jump in crude oil prices on account of OPEC decision to cut output. Taking into account a crude oil price of USD 80 per barrel and a normal monsoon, the retail inflation in the current fiscal is projected to be 5.2 per cent with risks evenly balanced, Das said. For the June quarter, the retail inflation is expected to average 5.1 per cent, and rise to 5.4 per cent each in the September and December quarter. It is expected to decline to 5.2 per cent in the March 2024 quarter. Das said the Central bank's war against inflation will continue until the inflation is brought down to target level. "The fight against inflation

No change: MPC presses 'pause' after hiking rate by 250 bps since May 2022

RBI governor makes it clear that if required, MPC could hike rates in future meetings

Potential US recession signal sets off global rush into Indonesian bonds

With the US and Indonesian central banks seen approaching the end of their respective hiking cycles, inflows looking for higher carry returns are likely to keep increasing in the second quarter

RBI rate hike touch & go affair amid inflation, growth concerns, swaps show

Policy decisions this week from some of the Reserve Bank of India's global peers offer a good reason for the split

Global trade growth to slow to 1.7% in 2023 amid rising inflation: WTO

Dragged down by a sharp slump in the fourth quarter, world trade volume grew by 2.7 per cent, "a smaller-than-expected increase"

RBI set to raise rates 25 bps on elevated inflation, keep hawkish stance

Retail inflation rose 6.44% year-on-year in February, easing from 6.52% in January but has remained above the RBI's mandated target range of 2%-6% for 10 out of the last 12 readings

RBI should prioritise inflation over growth, say FinMin officials

The RBI has a mandate to keep retail inflation at 4 per cent within a band of 2 percentage points on either side