Participants from the RBI: Shri Shaktikanta Das – Governor, Reserve Bank of India Dr. Michael D. Patra – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India Shri M. Rajeshwar Rao – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India Shri T. Rabi Sankar – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India Shri Swaminathan J. – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India Dr. O. P. Mall – Executive Director, Reserve Bank of India Dr. Rajiv Ranjan – Executive Director, Reserve Bank of India  Moderator: Shri Yogesh Dayal – Chief General Manager, Reserve Bank of India  Yogesh Dayal: Good afternoon everyone. Hello and welcome to the First Policy of 2024-25. Today with us we have Governor, Shri Shaktikanta Das, Deputy Governors, Dr. M.D. Patra, Shri M. Rajeshwar Rao, Shri T. Rabi Sankar, Shri Swaminathan J., and two Executive Directors, Dr. O. P. Mall and Dr. Rajiv Ranjan. So, as is customary, I would request the Governor to make some opening remarks and then we will go for Q&A.  Shaktikanta Das: Namaskar. I guess I will not be off the mark if I say that the policy overall is on expected lines. So, it demonstrates, I think, the Reserve Bank, the market participants, the market players and perhaps, the media and analysts and all, every stakeholder, thinking is at the moment, well aligned so far as Monetary Policy is concerned. But having said that, I just want to make five observations:

Participants from the RBI: Shri Shaktikanta Das – Governor, Reserve Bank of India Dr. Michael D. Patra – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India Shri M. Rajeshwar Rao – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India Shri T. Rabi Sankar – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India Shri Swaminathan J. – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India Dr. O. P. Mall – Executive Director, Reserve Bank of India Dr. Rajiv Ranjan – Executive Director, Reserve Bank of India

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the Post-Monetary Policy Press Conference of the Reserve Bank of India. This is the last of this calendar year and I would like to welcome all media friends to this Press Conference. Today, we have with us Honorable Governor Shri Shaktikanta Das, Deputy Governors – Dr. M. D. Patra, Shri M. Rajeshwar Rao, Shri T. Rabi Sankar, and Shri J. Swaminathan. We also have with us today, our Executive Directors Dr. O. P. Mall and Dr. Rajiv Ranjan.

Participants from the RBI:

Shri Shaktikanta Das – Governor, Reserve Bank of India
Dr. Michael D. Patra – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India
Shri M. Rajeshwar Rao – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India
Shri T. Rabi Sankar – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India
Shri Swaminathan J. – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India
Dr. O. P. Mall – Executive Director, Reserve Bank of India
Dr. Rajiv Ranjan – Executive Director, Reserve Bank of India

Moderator:
Shri Yogesh Dayal – Chief General Manager, Reserve Bank of India

Yogesh Dayal:
Hello everyone and welcome to the Reserve Bank of India for this post- Monetary policy press conference. As always, we have here our respected Governor Shri Shaktikanta Das and along with him, our Deputy Governors; Dr. M. D. Patra, Shri M. Rajeshwar Rao, Shri T. Rabi Sankar, Shri Swaminathan J. and also with us today, our Executive Directors Dr. O. P. Mall and Dr. Rajiv Ranjan. With this, I welcome all of you to the RBI’s press conference and before going ahead with the press conference, I will request the Governor to make a few opening remarks. Over to you Sir.

Shaktikanta Das:
Thank you. As I have done on previous occasions, I would like to summarise whatever I have said in my statement, and I have nine points very quickly.

1. Domestic economic activity continues to be resilient. India is poised to become the new growth engine of the world.

2. Declining core inflation is a silver line. But headline CPI inflation remains vulnerable to recurring and overlapping food price shocks.

3. The MPC remains highly alert and will not hesitate to take timely and appropriate action if the situation warrants.

4. It is emphatically reiterated that the inflation target is 4% and not 2% to 6%. Hence, monetary policy needs to remain actively disinflationary at the current juncture.

5. Liquidity will be actively managed consistent with the monetary policy stance. OMO sales will be undertaken, as necessary.

6. Banks with surplus funds are encouraged to lend in the interbank call market for better returns instead of passively parking them in the SDF.

7. The financial sector balance sheet remains robust, while the Reserve Bank is closely monitoring the emerging trends. Banks and NBFCs are expected to strengthen their internal surveillance mechanisms and institute suitable safeguards wherever necessary.

8. Financial stability is fundamental to price stability and growth. That is the core principle which we follow.

9. The external sector is eminently manageable.

Thank you.

Yogesh Dayal:
Thank you Sir for those opening remarks. I will begin the press conference by inviting Mr. Anup Roy from Bloomberg to ask his question.

Anup Roy, Bloomberg:
Sir, this is regarding the OMO announcement that you did. So, will there be a calendar for OMO and is this in preparation for the JP Morgan bond index inclusion?

Shaktikanta Das:
As I have said in my statement, the first thing I would like to say is that it has nothing to do with the bond index inclusion and let me reiterate that it is a part of our domestic liquidity management. With regard to the calendar, I have said that we will watch the evolving trends. There are several moving parts in the whole liquidity scenario. We will watch the evolving trends and we will notify as and when it becomes necessary. So, we do not, at the moment, propose to give a calendar.

Participants from the RBI: Shri Shaktikanta Das – Governor, Reserve Bank of India Dr. Michael D. Patra – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India Shri M. Rajeshwar Rao – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India Shri T. Rabi Sankar – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India Shri Swaminathan J. – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India Dr. O. P. Mall – Executive Director, Reserve Bank of India Dr. Rajiv Ranjan – Executive Director, Reserve Bank of India Moderator:
Shri Yogesh Dayal – Chief General Manager, Reserve Bank of India

Participants from the RBI: Shri Shaktikanta Das – Governor, Reserve Bank of India Shri M. K. Jain – Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India Dr. Michael D. Patra – Deputy

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