RBI monetary policy preview : What to expect from rates

RBI monetary policy preview: The Reserve Bank of India's Monetary Policy Committee will announce its decision on rates at 10 am on August 5 and the street is betting yet again on hike in rates. The bets vary from 25-50 bps as Governor Shaktikanta Das continues to attempt slaying the impact of imported inflation.

Here are the factors at play on the MPC's agenda:

• As US Fed has made another aggressive rate hike by 75 basis points in the latest policy to tame inflation.
• The pace of hikes by the Fed is the fastest in 40 years last seen in the era of Paul Volcker
• Currently, inflation is at 7.01% in June and has been above RBI's comfort zone of 6% for the sixth-consecutive month.
• Reserve Bank of India’s six-member monetary policy committee will now likley increase the repurchase rate by 50 basis points to 5.40%, a level last seen in August 2019.
• Commentary on currency also remains critical as the rupee languishes at record low and India's trade deficit also hitting record high.

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