RBI Hikes Repo to 5.50%, Its First Rise in Nearly Four Years — What It Does to USD/INR
The Reserve Bank of India raised its policy repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50% on Wednesday, October 7, its first increase in nearly four years, and shifted its stance to "calibrated tightening". Governor Sanjay Malhotra said outright that rate cuts are off the table for now. "Rate cuts are off the table in the near term and policy action ahead can only be a rate hike or a pause, depending on the evolving conditions and the outlook," Malhotra said. The six-member Monetary Policy Committee voted unanimously, according to multiple reports. For a retail trader, the number to sit with is not 5.50%. It is 5.25% — the Standing Deposit Facility rate, the floor of the RBI's corridor, and the rate that effectively sets what it costs to fund a short-rupee position overnight. The rupee has been weakening, and reports describe that weakness as one of the reasons the RBI moved.
