Page 17 - Rbi

Banks' gold loan portfolio surges 128% in February, shows RBI data

Gold loans drive retail credit growth, with bank lending against jewellery doubling year-on-year in February, sharply outpacing overall retail loan expansion

RBI injects ₹84,582 crore in banking system in two variable repo rate

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Monday injected Rs 84,582 crore of transient liquidity into the banking system through two variable rate repo (VRR) auctions. The central bank injected Rs 50,001 crore through first three-day VRR auction early in the day at cut-off rate of 5.34 per cent and weighted average rate of 5.44 per cent, the central bank said in a release. The RBI injected another Rs 34,581 crore at 5.26 per cent cut-off and 5.30 per cent weighted average rate at an auction later during the day. In the first auction, the central bank received bids of Rs 57,287 crore as against the notified amount of Rs 50,000 crore and accepted bids worth Rs 50,001 crore. However, for the second auction, bids received were lower than the notified amount. Currently, liquidity in the banking system is estimated to be in surplus of about Rs 1.27 lakh crore as on March 27. In the last few days, the central bank infused transient liquidity of Rs 2,73,530 crore in to the banking system through

Bank credit to industry rises 13.5% in Feb on infra demand: RBI data

Bank credit to industry grew at faster pace of 13.5 per cent on the fortnight ending February 28, compared with 7.5 per cent in the year-ago period, according to the RBI data released on Monday. The buoyant growth is majorly driven by higher growth in 'infrastructure', 'all engineering', 'chemicals and chemical products', 'petroleum, coal products and nuclear fuels' and 'textiles', said the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The RBI has released data on sectoral deployment of bank credit for February 2026, collected from 41 select scheduled commercial banks (SCBs), together accounting for about 95 per cent of the total non-food credit by all commercial banks. "On a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis, non-food bank credit grew by 14.3 per cent as on the fortnight ended February 28, 2026, compared to 11.1 per cent during the corresponding fortnight of the previous year (March 7, 2025)," the RBI said. Credit to industry recorded a year-on-year growth of 13.5 per cent, compared with 7.5 per cent in

Bank holidays in April 2026: Banks to stay shut for 14 days in these states

Banks will stay closed for about 14 days in April in various states according to the RBI holiday calendar. The holidays involve state-specific holidays, second and fourth Saturdays, and all Sundays

RBI's boldest currency move in years brings rupee only brief relief

The intervention underscores the RBI's shrinking flexibility, as foreign-exchange reserves have shrunk in the first three weeks of March amid efforts to defend the rupee following the Iran conflict

RBI forces banks to unwind rupee bets, squeezing short sellers amid crisis

Late Friday, the RBI announced new rules capping the open positions banks can hold in the onshore currency market at $100 million at the end of each trading day

First time in this rate cycle, RBI faces growth-inflation dilemma

The going was good until war in West Asia started. The inflation rate was low with growth staying robust

RBI curbs on rupee positions may force unwinding of arbitrage bets

The rupee has hit a string of all-time lows and is down about 4.2 per cent this month, its worst decline in over seven years, sliding to 94.84 versus the US dollar on Friday

RBI plans cross-border revamp, lighter rules for small payment firms

RBI's Payments Vision 2028 proposes reforms in cross-border payments and a lighter regulatory framework for small payment firms to boost innovation and efficiency

March sees $30 billion drop in India's foreign exchange reserves

Forex reserves declined for a third week, led by a sharp fall in gold holdings, while forward book positions and global factors continue to exert pressure on reserve adequacy

Rupee down over 4% since West Asia war began; bond yield near 2-year high

The rupee hit a record low and bond yields surged amid foreign outflows, elevated crude prices and fiscal concerns following excise duty cuts on fuel

Govt plans to borrow ₹8.2 trillion in H1FY27; yields seen softening

Government borrowing for H1FY27 is lower than market expectations, which may support bond prices and lead to a modest softening in yields in the near term

HDFC Bank probes chairman's resignation letter; RBI's CBDC push; Fino PB withdraws CEO reappointment

Bankers seek debt moratorium for MSMEs With the West Asia conflict nearing a month, bankers have urged the RBI and Centre to consider a time-bound moratorium on debt repayments for MSMEs

India's forex reserves drop $11.41 billion to $698.346 billion: RBI data

India's forex reserves dropped by USD 11.413 billion to USD 698.346 billion during the week ended March 20 due to a sharp decrease in gold reserves, the RBI said on Friday. In the previous reporting week, the overall reserves had dropped USD 7.052 billion to USD 709.759 billion. The kitty had expanded to an all-time high of USD 728.494 billion during the week ended February 27 this year, before the onset of the West Asia conflict. For the week ended March 20, foreign currency assets, a major component of the reserves, increased by USD 2.127 billion to USD 557.695 billion, the central bank's data showed. Expressed in dollar terms, the foreign currency assets include effects of appreciation or depreciation of non-US units, such as the euro, pound, and yen, held in the foreign exchange reserves. However, the value of gold reserves decreased by USD 13.495 billion to USD 117.186 billion during the week, the RBI said. The Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) were down USD 65 million to USD 18

RBI injects ₹65,322 crore in banking system via 6-day VRR auction

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday injected Rs 65,322 crore of transient liquidity into the banking system through a six-day variable rate repo (VRR) auction. The RBI injected the funds at a cut-off rate of 5.26 per cent and a weighted average rate of 5.29 per cent, the central bank said in a release. The liquidity injected was lower than the notified amount of Rs 75,000 crore, despite the sharp drop in surplus liquidity in the banking system due to advance tax payments and GST outflows. Currently, liquidity in the banking system is estimated to be in surplus of around Rs 48,698.38 crore as on March 26. In the last few days, the central bank infused transient liquidity of Rs 2,08,208 crore into the banking system through VRR auctions of various tenures. Before this, RBI had infused Rs 3.50 lakh crore of durable liquidity into the banking system through open market purchase (OMO) of government securities since January 2026.

RBI to hold key interest rate unchanged until at least mid-2027: Poll

Most economists said the RBI is unlikely to deviate from the ​neutral stance it has maintained since June given the uncertainty around how long the conflict will ‌persist

West Asia conflict: Bankers suggest Covid-like moratorium for MSMEs

Flag cash-flow risks to RBI, Centre amid West Asia war

HDFC Bank chairman's resignation puts bank governance in spotlight

The next round of appointments to private bank boards following Atanu Chakraborty's resignation as HDFC Bank chairman will be subject to intense scrutiny by the RBI

'CPI alignment, flexibility need backed 4% inflation target retention'

Economists support retaining the 4% inflation target, citing CPI alignment and the flexibility it offers RBI to manage supply shocks while sustaining growth

Collateral-free lending may widen risks for banks before helping MSMEs

Mandating such a shift may not solve the problem. Ignoring information gaps and banning collateral risks weakening the financial system and could reduce, not expand, credit supply