Time after time: On RBI repo rate cut
The RBI might have played out its hand for now with the latest repo rate cut The RBI has once again stepped up to the plate at the right time with measures that will reduce the cost of capital and ease the financial burden on businesses due to the extended lockdown. With Friday’s repo rate cut of 40 basis points, the RBI has shaved off 1.15 percentage points from the rate chart in the 58 days since the lockdown began, bringing the repo rate down to 4% and the reverse repo rate to 3.35%. With this, it does appear that the central bank may have played out its rate cut card for now as prudence would dictate that it reserves some leverage for the future if economic conditions deteriorate even further. In fact, there are those who believe that the latest cut may be no more than a sentiment booster as economic activity is at its nadir and there are not many investment proposals on the anvil that may benefit from the lower interest rate. Existing borrowers may be the only benefici...