RBI's MPC starts deliberating on next monetary policy

Mumbai: RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das-headed rate-setting panel Monetary Policy Committee(MPC) started its three-day deliberation on the next monetary policy on Monday amid sudden surge in Covid-19 cases and the government's recent mandate asking the central bank to keep retail inflation around 4 per cent.

The Reserve Bank will announce the resolution of the MPC on April 7. Experts are of the view that the Reserve Bank will maintain status quo on policy rates at its first bi-monthly monetary policy review for the current fiscal. It is also likely to maintain an accommodative policy stance.

The policy repo rate or the short-term lending rate is currently at 4 per cent, and the reverse repo rate is 3.35 per cent. Last month, the government had asked the Reserve Bank to maintain retail inflation at 4 per cent with a margin of 2 per cent on either side for another five-year period ending March 2026. M Govinda Rao Chief Economic Advisor, Brickwork Ratings (BWR) said, given the rise in the spread of coronavirus infections and the imposition of fresh restrictions to contain the virus spread in the major parts of the country, RBI is likely to continue with its accommodative monetary policy stance in the upcoming MPC meeting.

"Considering the elevated inflation levels, BWR expects the RBI MPC to adopt a cautious approach and hold the repo rate at 4 per cent," Rao said. Rao noted that in the last MPC, RBI initiated measures towards the rationalisation of excess liquidity from the system by announcing a phased hike in the cash reserve ratio (CRR) for restoration to 4 per cent.