Monetary Policy
RBI & Monetary Policy
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is India's central bank. It controls how much money flows in the economy, which affects everything from your home loan EMI to the price of vegetables.
Current Policy Rates
These are the key interest rates set by RBI that affect the entire economy.
Last updated: 2024-12-06
What is the Reserve Bank of India?
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was established in 1935 and is headquartered in Mumbai. Think of RBI as the "bank of all banks" — it doesn't deal with regular people like you and me. Instead, it works with commercial banks (like SBI, HDFC, ICICI) and the government.
RBI has many jobs: printing currency notes, managing foreign exchange, supervising banks, and most importantly — controlling inflation through monetary policy.
What is Repo Rate?
The most important interest rate in India
- Repo Rate(रेपो दर)
- The interest rate at which RBI lends money to commercial banks for a short period (usually overnight). "Repo" stands for "Repurchasing Option" — banks sell government securities to RBI and agree to buy them back.
How does Repo Rate affect you?
When RBI increases repo rate:
Banks have to pay more interest to borrow from RBI → Banks increase their loan interest rates → Your home loan EMI goes up → People borrow less → Less money in the economy → Inflation decreases
When RBI decreases repo rate:
Banks pay less interest to borrow → Banks reduce their loan rates → Your EMI goes down → People borrow more → More money in the economy → Economic growth increases
EMI Impact
What is CRR (Cash Reserve Ratio)?
Money that banks must keep with RBI
- Cash Reserve Ratio(नकद आरक्षित अनुपात)
- The percentage of a bank's total deposits that must be kept with RBI as cash. Banks cannot use this money for giving loans.
Example: How CRR works
If CRR is 4% and a bank has ₹100 crore in deposits:
- →Bank must keep ₹4 crore with RBI (no interest earned on this)
- →Bank can use ₹96 crore for giving loans
- →If CRR increases to 5%, bank can only use ₹95 crore for loans
What is SLR (Statutory Liquidity Ratio)?
Investments banks must make in government securities
- Statutory Liquidity Ratio(सांविधिक तरलता अनुपात)
- The percentage of deposits that banks must invest in government securities (like government bonds). Unlike CRR, banks earn interest on SLR investments.
Why does SLR exist?
- 1.Ensures banks have liquid (easily convertible) assets
- 2.Helps government raise money easily (banks are forced buyers)
- 3.Controls how much money banks can lend
Money Supply Control
Quick Summary
| Tool | Current Rate | Effect when increased |
|---|---|---|
| Repo Rate | 6.5% | Loans become expensive → Less spending → Lower inflation |
| CRR | 4% | Less money available for loans → Less money in economy |
| SLR | 18% | Banks buy more govt bonds → Less money for loans |