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Further easing in inflation leaves door open to more rate cuts The larger-than-expected fall in Indian headline consumer price inflation to below the RBI’s 4% target in February supports our view that the central bank will continue to loosen monetary …
12th March 2025
Economy slowly emerging from soft patch GDP figures for Q4 2024 show that India’s economy remained fairly soft by its own standards at the end of last year. But with policy now decisively turning more supportive, economic growth should pick up further …
28th February 2025
The decision by the US and Russia to “lay the groundwork” to end the war in Ukraine marks a potentially significant turning point after three years of conflict. Negotiations will take time and the macroeconomic implications will depend on the features of …
18th February 2025
Inflation falls sharply, more rate cuts on the cards The sharp fall in Indian headline consumer price inflation in January reinforces our view that the RBI will continue to loosen monetary policy over the coming months to support the economy. The headline …
12th February 2025
New governor kicks off easing cycle The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI’s) decision to cut the repo rate by 25bps today to 6.25% confirms that, under new leadership, its priorities have tilted from containing inflation to providing more support for the …
7th February 2025
Fall in headline inflation boosts February rate cut odds The further moderation in Indian headline consumer price inflation in December supports our view that the monetary easing cycle will kick off at the RBI’s next policy meeting in February. The …
13th January 2025
Headline inflation back within target The fall in headline consumer price inflation to back within the RBI's target range in November, along with the change of leadership at the central bank into a seemingly less hawkish direction, mean the stars are …
12th December 2024
New governor may set a new direction for RBI India’s government has just appointed Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra as the new governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He will replace the Shaktikanta Das following six years at the helm. The …
9th December 2024
Repo rate cuts to begin in April The Reserve Bank of India’s decision to keep the repo rate unchanged at 6.50% today highlights its unease at the current rate of headline inflation. We think inflation has now peaked and indeed, the lowering of the cash …
6th December 2024
Sharp fall in Growth GDP figures show the economy slowed sharply last quarter, and we expect economic activity to struggle over the coming quarters. That bolsters the case for policy loosening, but the recent jump in inflation means the RBI won’t feel …
29th November 2024
Inflation jump scuppers December rate cut hopes Another bigger-than-expected jump in headline consumer price inflation last month will be enough to convince a majority of MPC members that conditions are not yet right to begin easing policy. We now think …
12th November 2024
Rise in headline inflation unlikely to derail rate cuts The jump in India’s headline CPI inflation in September was larger than had generally been expected including by the RBI, so it raises the chances of the central bank proceeding with more caution. …
14th October 2024
RBI lays groundwork for December rate cut The Reserve Bank of India’s new-look MPC voted to keep the repo rate unchanged at 6.50% today as expected but struck a less hawkish tone in its communications, which included a change in the official policy stance …
9th October 2024
Slight rise in headline rate tips balance in favour of October rate hold The slight rise in India’s headline CPI inflation in August reinforces our view that the Reserve Bank will proceed with a bit of caution and keep rates unchanged in its next meeting …
12th September 2024
GDP figures for Q2 show a sharper-than-expected slowdown in India’s economy. Looking ahead, we expect economic activity to moderate a bit further over the coming quarters. But the big picture is that the economy remains on track to grow by a world-beating …
30th August 2024
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Disinflation back on track The drop in headline consumer price inflation to a one-year low in July should reassure the RBI that June’s surprise jump was a one-off and that the …
12th August 2024
RBI could ease policy by year-end The recent market turmoil didn’t move the needle for the MPC today: it continued to strike a hawkish tone as the majority of members voted to keep the repo rate unchanged at 6.50%. But with inflation set to fall back …
8th August 2024
Surprise inflation jump scuppers August rate cut hopes The surprise jump in headline consumer price inflation last month will be enough to convince any MPC members who may have been leaning toward rate cuts at the August policy meeting that conditions are …
12th July 2024
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Inflation cooler than most expected Consumer price inflation came in cooler than most expected last month, which should reassure the RBI as it considers when to begin its easing …
12th June 2024
RBI still on course for August rate cut The RBI kept the repo rate on hold at 6.50% today as expected but, notably, two of out of the six MPC members voted for a cut. With inflation likely to continue falling over the coming months, we maintain our …
7th June 2024
Modi on the brink Narendra Modi appears well on course for a third consecutive term as India’s Prime Minister according to exit polls that project another big parliamentary majority for the BJP. Admittedly, exit polls have a patchy track record in India …
2nd June 2024
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Economy booming on eve of election The GDP figures for Q1 confirm that India’s economy slowed a touch at the start of the year but was nonetheless still booming on the eve of the …
31st May 2024
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Inflation edging closer to RBI’s 4% target Headline consumer price inflation edged down in April to an 11-month low and, looking ahead, we think it will reach the RBI’s 4% …
13th May 2024
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Activity strong on eve of election The flash composite PMI reading for April suggests that the strength of economic activity over the past few quarters has continued through to …
23rd April 2024
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. The fall in headline consumer price inflation in March to a 10-month low will comfort policymakers and, looking ahead, we think headline inflation will reach the RBI’s 4% …
12th April 2024
RBI policy pivot creeping closer The RBI kept the repo rate on hold at 6.50% today as expected but the more interesting aspect was the slight dialling down of its hawkish rhetoric. With inflation grinding down towards the central bank's 4% target, we …
5th April 2024
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. The flash composite PMI reading for March suggests that the economy continues to perform exceptionally well. While growth is likely to moderate over the coming quarters, India …
21st March 2024
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Slow grind back to 4% Headline consumer price inflation held steady at 5.1% y/y in February and looking ahead, we think it will take a few more months before it reaches the RBI’s …
12th March 2024
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Exceptional economic performance suggests no imminent rate cuts The GDP data for Q4 confirm that India’s economy ended last year with a bang. Looking ahead, we expect economic …
29th February 2024
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Manufacturing and services activity likely to remain robust The flash composite PMI reading for February suggests that the economy continues to perform exceptionally well. …
22nd February 2024
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. In the context of its continued hawkish communications, we doubt that the drop in headline consumer price inflation in January will be enough to convince the RBI to pivot yet. …
12th February 2024
RBI not ready to pivot yet The RBI kept the repo rate on hold at 6.50% today as expected and continued to strike a hawkish tone. With the economy holding up well and inflation to remain above the 4% target for a few more months yet, we doubt the central …
8th February 2024
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Manufacturing activity likely to remain robust The final manufacturing PMI reading for January suggests that activity got off to a strong start this year. Looking ahead, while …
1st February 2024
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Elevated headline inflation suggests no imminent rate cuts The rise in headline consumer price inflation to a four-month high in December supports our view that the central bank …
12th January 2024
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Factory activity likely to hold up well in 2024 The manufacturing PMI survey for December suggests that activity lost some momentum at the end of 2023. That said, we think that …
3rd January 2024
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Elevated food inflation suggests no chance of imminent loosening Headline consumer price inflation rose to a three-month high of 5.6% y/y in November amid a renewed rise in food …
12th December 2023
RBI in no rush to loosen policy The RBI kept the repo rate on hold at 6.50% today as expected and continued to strike a hawkish tone. Against a backdrop of robust economic growth and a renewed rise in food inflation, we doubt the central bank will loosen …
8th December 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Manufacturing activity likely to end the year on a high note The manufacturing PMI survey for November suggests that activity continues to remain strong in Q4. The economy is on …
1st December 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. India to remain an EM outperformer The RBI had stated that the GDP data for Q3 (Q2 of FY23/24) would “surprise everyone on the upside” and, even despite that spoiler, the data …
30th November 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Renewed food price spike the key inflation threat Headline consumer price inflation edged down to a four-month low of 4.9% y/y in October, but that’s already old news given the …
13th November 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Early sign of manufacturing activity losing momentum The manufacturing PMI survey for October suggests that activity lost some momentum at the start in Q4. We think that the …
1st November 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. CPI inflation drops to within target, but food inflation threat is far from over Headline consumer price inflation dropped back sharply to within the RBI’s 2-6% target range in …
12th October 2023
RBI stands firm in fight against inflation The RBI kept the repo rate on hold at 6.50% today as expected and continued to strike a hawkish tone despite the recent easing in headline inflation. There is still a significant risk of the easing cycle that we …
6th October 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Indian manufacturing growth cools a touch India’s manufacturing PMI moderated in September but remained high. However, there are reasons to think a further slight cooling in …
3rd October 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Headline CPI rate drops, but food inflation threat is not over yet The drop in headline consumer price inflation in August should provide some welcome relief for the RBI. But …
12th September 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Manufacturing PMI defying gravity, again India’s manufacturing PMI is again defying gravity, recording one of its highest readings in the past 13 years in August. It’s clear that …
1st September 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Resilient economy likely to cool a touch The GDP data for Q2 (Q1 of FY23/24) confirm a resilient first half of the year for India’s economy in the face of the RBI’s policy …
31st August 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. An inflation shocker Headline consumer price inflation accelerated to a 15-month high of 7.4% y/y in July amid the surge in food price inflation. While the RBI expects the sharp …
14th August 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. Manufacturing PMI shows further signs of cooling activity India’s manufacturing PMI edged down in July to a three-month low, and we expect higher rates and subdued global demand …
1st August 2023
This page has been updated with additional analysis since first publication. June’s CPI data already old news Headline consumer price inflation came in at 4.8% y/y in June, comfortably within the RBI’s 2-6% tolerance range. But that’s already old news …
12th July 2023
