On Friday, the Reserve Bank of India unveiled steps to attract dollar inflows, including fully subsidising hedging costs on foreign currency deposits raised from non-resident Indians
The rupee was at 95.27, up modestly on the day after hitting an intra-day low of 95.5625 in early trading
Bankers expect FCNR(B) inflows of $20-45 billion as RBI absorbs hedging costs, though a much narrower India-US interest-rate differential may limit leverage-driven participation
State-owned entities are expected to lead fundraising under the RBI's concessional swap facility, with market participants estimating inflows of $15-20 billion
The country's largest private-sector lender increased lending benchmarks across tenors, with the sharpest rise in the two-year MCLR despite an unchanged policy rate
The RBI is expected to keep interest rates unchanged, but rising oil prices and inflation risks could shape its future stance.
The facility will allow banks to raise fresh three- to five-year FCNR(B) deposits at lower hedging cost, helping support foreign inflows and the rupee
RBI's incentives may attract short-term foreign inflows and ease pressure on the rupee, but they do little to address weak FDI and sustained foreign investor outflows
RBI and government measures to attract foreign capital have improved sentiment in the bond market, but most fund managers continue to favour shorter-duration papers
Experts clarify RBI norms on merchanting trade, DPU vs DAP usage, self-sealing permissions and EPCG authorisation rules for exporters
Strong services exports and record remittance inflows helped India record a current account surplus of $7.1 billion in the March quarter despite continued capital outflows
The move is expected to support recently announced measures to attract foreign capital, while easing regulatory constraints on banks participating in RBI swap facilities
The forex swap window, open until October 2026, will enable banks to mobilise fresh FCNR(B) deposits while the RBI bears the hedging cost on eligible inflows
Draft framework would allow lenders to align deposit rates with liquidity costs under LCR norms, improving pricing efficiency and balance-sheet management
India reported a current account surplus of USD 7.1 billion, or 0.7 per cent of GDP, in the January-March quarter of 2025-26, according to the Reserve Bank data released on Monday. The surplus stood at USD 13.7 billion, or 1.4 per cent of GDP, in the fourth quarter of 2024-25. However, for the entire fiscal year, the current account deficit stood at USD 25.2 billion, or 0.6 per cent of GDP, compared to USD 22.9 billion, or 0.6 per cent of GDP, during 2024-25. "Net services receipts increased to USD 60.4 billion in Q4 2025-26 from USD 53.3 billion a year ago," according to RBI's data on Developments in India's Balance of Payments during the Fourth Quarter (January-March) of 2025-26. Services exports increased on a year-on-year basis in major categories, such as computer services and other business services. On the other hand, the merchandise trade deficit at USD 83.4 billion in Q4 2025-26 was higher than USD 59.3 billion in Q4 2024-25.
RBI's commentary on inflation 'opens the door for rate hikes in the next meeting' in August, according to Pranjul Bhandari, chief India economist at HSBC Holdings Plc
RBI ramped up its interventions after the rupee weakened to a record low on May 20, almost hitting the 97 per dollar mark
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said underlying inflation pressures remained benign, although second-round effects warranted vigilance
A surge in oil prices following the Iran conflict and selling of Indian stocks by foreign investors are likely to widen the BoP deficit this financial year
Goldman's comments hold significance as the rupee fell to a new low of 96.9650 per dollar last month amid a surge in global crude prices and record overseas outflows from equities