Central bank holds additional ₹50,000 crore VRR auction as banks face year-end liquidity pressures, with demand exceeding notified amounts due to balance sheet adjustments
Foreign outflows, the West Asia conflict, rupee depreciation, uncertainty around US tariffs, and elevated valuations were among the key factors that influenced investor sentiment
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Tuesday injected Rs 55,837 crore transient liquidity into the banking system through three-day variable rate repo (VRR) auction. The RBI injected the funds at cut-off and weighted average rates of 5.26 per cent, the central bank said in a release. The liquidity injected was much lower than the notified amount of Rs 1 lakh crore, despite the sharp drop in surplus liquidity in the banking system due to advance tax payments. Currently, liquidity in the banking system is estimated to be in surplus of about Rs 26,196.36 crore as on March 23. 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. Prior to this, the RBI infused Rs 3.50 lakh crore of durable liquidity into the banking system through open market purchase (OMO) of government securities since January 2026.
The Reserve Bank of India on Friday said it will conduct an overnight variable rate repo (VRR) auction of Rs 1 lakh crore on March 23. The auction will take place between 9:30 am and 10:00 am on March 23, and the reversal of these funds will take place on March 24, as per the central bank's release. The central bank announced the auction based on the current and evolving liquidity conditions of the banking system, the release added. Currently, the liquidity in the banking system is estimated to be in surplus of around Rs 16,875.36 crore. Earlier today, the central bank infused Rs 25,101 crore transient liquidity in the banking system through a three-day VRR auction. On March 17, the central bank injected Rs 48,014 crore liquidity into the banking system via a seven-day VRR. Before this, the RBI has infused Rs 3.50 lakh crore of durable liquidity into the banking system through open market purchase (OMO) of government securities since January 2026.
Central bank to hold three-day VRR auction on Friday as surplus liquidity falls below ₹1 trillion amid advance tax and GST outflows
Reserve Bank Governor Sanjay Malhotra voted for the status quo in the key interest rate earlier this month, saying the current policy rate was appropriate, given the buoyant economic growth and benign inflation, according to the MPC meeting minutes released on Friday. The Reserve Bank kept the short-term lending rate (repo) unchanged at 5.25 per cent after the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting held from February 4 to 6. The governor and the other five members of the MPC had voted to keep the repo rate unchanged. According to the minutes, Malhotra argued that India's macroeconomic fundamentals, over the medium-term, including the external sector, remain healthy and robust. "Given the present state of the economy and its outlook -- buoyant growth and benign inflation -- I feel the current policy rate is appropriate. Accordingly, I vote for continuation of the policy repo rate at 5.25 per cent and retain the neutral stance," he said. Deputy Governor Poonam Gupta said that, ...
Inflation risks may prove to be broader than what that explanation implies
The RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee on Friday kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.25%, while continuing with its 'neutral' stance. Governor Sanjay Malhotra assured proactive liquidity management
The 10-year benchmark yield rose to 6.69 per cent after the MPC held rates steady and the RBI refrained from announcing fresh OMOs, despite market expectations
Some economists said that a pause is warranted at this juncture to assess the upcoming CPI and GDP data, which will be released in mid to late February 2026 using new base years
Saugata Bhattacharya, external MPC member, spoke on the scope for further rate cuts and how the RBI's foreign exchange market interventions could influence the policy path going forward
HDFC Bank has lowered its fixed deposit rates by 15 bps for select tenors on deposits below Rs 3 crore, bringing its peak deposit rate down to 6.45% from December 17
RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said inflation remains benign and policy remains neutral, adding that future rate moves will depend on data and effective transmission
The RBI’s six-member MPC cut the repo rate by 25 bps to 5.25% and kept the policy stance neutral.
RBI MPC meeting December 2025 HIGHLIGHTS: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Sanjay Malhotra will announce the outcome of the Monetary Policy Committee's (MPC's) December meeting today
The Reserve Bank of India has reduced the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.25 per cent in its December policy review. The central bank has also raised its growth forecast and lowered its inflation
The one-year OIS rate has dropped to a month-low, with markets pricing in a 20-bps repo rate cut by February after RBI's governor signalled room for easing, though uncertainty over December's move per
Reserve Bank Governor Sanjay Malhotra opined that there is room for a further rate cut and indicated it would be done at an opportune time to have a desirable impact, according to the minutes of the monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting released on Wednesday. The governor, along with five other members of the MPC, had voted for the status quo on the short-term benchmark lending rate at the meeting that concluded on October 1. During the meeting, Malhotra said the benign outlook for headline and core inflation as a result of the downward revision of projections opens up policy space to further support growth. "...even though there is a policy space to further cut the policy rate, I feel this is not the opportune time for the same, as it will not have the desirable impact. "Therefore, I vote to keep the policy repo rate unchanged at 5.50 per cent. The intent of policy, nevertheless, is to continue to facilitate growth-enabling conditions," he said. MPC member and RBI Deputy Govern
The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee has decided to keep the repo rate steady at 5.5%, while lowering its inflation forecast and revising growth projections upward.
Today's pieces examine the RBI's decision on the policy rate, what it might do on the issue of Tata Sons' listing, 100 years of the RSS, and the question of rising populism globally as well as India