RBI hikes benchmark lending rate by 50 basis points to rein in inflation

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday raised the benchmark lending rate by 50 basis points to 5.90 per cent in a bid to check inflation, which has remained above its tolerance level for the past 8 months.

With the latest hike, the repo rate or the short term lending rate at which banks borrow from the central bank is now close to 6 per cent.

This is the fourth consecutive rate hike after a 40 basis points increase in May and 50 basis points hike each in June and August. In all, RBI has raised benchmark rate by 1.90 per cent since May this year.

The six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das decided in favour of the rate hike.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) based inflation, which RBI factors in while fixing its benchmark rate, stood at 7 per cent in August. Retail inflation has been ruling above the RBI's comfort level of 6 per cent since January this year.

Das retained the inflation projection at 6.7 per cent for the current fiscal while slashing real GDP growth estimate to 7 per cent from earlier forecast of 7.2 per cent for FY'23.

The latest RBI action follows the US Federal Reserve effecting the third consecutive 0.75 percentage point interest rate increase, taking its benchmark rate to a range of 3-3.25 per cent earlier this month.

"The hikes have been necessitated by factors such as inflationary pressures, the Ukraine conflict, and microeconomic uncertainties in large economies," said Adhil Shetty, CEO at Bankbazaar.com.

"The latest hike in repo rates will make funding costlier for existing and new borrowers. For existing borrowers, all home, car, personal, and education loans on floating rates will become more expensive," he added.