Economy is stronger with stable inflation; central bank signals policy rates likely to stay low and sustain liquidity.
The central bank views growth as improving with stable inflation and expects policy rates to remain low for an extended period; the MPC split on stance with one member for "accommodative" and five for "neutral". Inflation volatility reflects base effects, food prices and commodity moves while core inflation shows no broad pressures. The bank revised up GDP forecasts partly due to an anticipated trade deal, denied active sales of US treasuries though reserve changes can affect holdings, and pledged ongoing liquidity to ensure transmission across credit, money and bond markets. It welcomed liberalisation of foreign investment in insurance and a tax holiday for data centres, and highlighted liquidity and stable funding ratios over cyclical credit-deposit concerns.

RBI keeps repo rate at 5.25%, issues consumer compensation and digital payments safety proposals, and eases MSME and NBFC rules.
The RBI kept the repo rate at 5.25% with a neutral stance due to low underlying inflation and improved growth outlook from recent trade deals. It revised GDP and inflation projections modestly, deferred full FY27 projection pending a revised GDP base, and announced draft guidelines on mis selling, loan recovery, and limiting customer liability for unauthorised electronic transactions, including proposed compensation up to Rs 25,000. Additional measures include digital payments safety papers, doubling collateral free MSME loans to Rs 20 lakh, NBFC registration exemptions, and removal of the VRR investment cap.

India forex reserves rose to USD 723.774 billion as gold and SDR holdings increased despite lower foreign currency assets.
Reserve Bank data shows India's forex reserves reached USD 723.774 billion for the week ended January 30, driven chiefly by a USD 14.595 billion rise in gold reserves to USD 137.683 billion and a USD 216 million increase in SDRs to USD 18.953 billion, while Foreign Currency Assets fell by USD 493 million to USD 562.392 billion; reserve position with the IMF increased by USD 44 million to USD 4.746 billion.

RBI compensation up to Rs 25,000 for bank customers hit by digital fraud, once per lifetime.
Reserve Bank will compensate bank customers up to Rs 25,000 for fraudulent digital transactions from the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund, payable once per customer and subject to exclusion for malafide intent. Customers must bear 15% of the fraud amount even if the loss is within the cap; high-value frauds remain capped at Rs 25,000. A draft framework will be issued for public consultation and the RBI will add preventive measures like lagged beneficiary credit and enhanced authentication.

SARC pavilion highlighted Chartered Accountants' role in regulatory confidence, PMLA and Benami enforcement, and financial resilience.
SARC & Associates convened round tables at WOFA 2.0 stressing the Chartered Accountant's role in strengthening regulatory confidence and institutional trust, with focus on NFRA oversight, Union Budget analysis, and the use of PMLA and Benami Prohibition as instruments to combat illicit finance and reinforce clean governance, linked to digital sovereignty and long-term national financial resilience.

Reserve Bank policy: banks may be allowed to lend to REITs; repo rate held steady.
The Reserve Bank of India kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.25 percent with a unanimous Monetary Policy Committee vote and maintained a neutral policy stance. It proposed allowing banks to lend to Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) with specified prudential safeguards to deepen the financing pool for the real estate sector.

Interest rates to remain low; policy decisions by committee; government borrowing manageable as T-bills support the yield curve.
Interest rates will remain low and may fall further, with the Monetary Policy Committee making rate decisions; the repo rate was held at 5.25% after a 125 basis point reduction since last February, while deposit-rate transmission has been slow and fixed deposit rates are expected to decline. Treasury bills will be used to manage the yield curve and support the government borrowing programme, recent trade deals may add marginal GDP growth, budget measures for data centres are expected to draw foreign investment, and currency in circulation has increased significantly.

Inflation projections revised upward due to rising precious metals prices; core inflation remains benign but upside risks persist.
The central bank modestly raised CPI inflation projections-current year to 2.1% and Q1/Q2 of 2026-27 to 4.0% and 4.2%-principally due to higher precious metals prices accounting for about 60-70 basis points; headline inflation remained low while core inflation excluding food and fuel is benign at 2.6%, though geopolitical, energy and weather risks present upside pressure and a new CPI series will inform the April full-year projection.

RBI proposes compensation up to Rs 25,000 for small-value digital-payment fraud and issues draft consumer protection guidelines.
A proposal introduces a compensation framework to reimburse customers up to Rs 25,000 for losses from small-value fraudulent digital transactions and revises the 2017 instructions on limiting customer liability in unauthorised electronic banking transactions. Draft revised instructions, including scenarios and timelines for liability and the new compensation mechanism, will be issued for public consultation. Additional draft guidelines will address mis-selling of financial products and harmonised conduct rules for engagement of recovery agents and loan recovery across regulated entities.

Reserve Bank holds repo rate at 5.25% and announces consumer compensation, MSME credit boost, NBFC and market reforms.
The central bank kept the repo rate at 5.25% and retained a neutral stance, citing benign inflation and sustained growth momentum. It announced draft guidelines on mis selling, loan recovery, recovery agents and limiting customer liability for unauthorized electronic transactions, proposed customer compensation up to Rs 25,000 for small-value frauds, a discussion paper on digital payments safety, raised collateral free MSME loan limits to Rs 20 lakh, eased NBFC registration and branch approval requirements for small NBFCs, and proposed removing the Rs 2.5 lakh crore VRR investment cap subject to category ceilings.

RBI raises GDP growth projections for Q1 and Q2 FY27 to 6.9% and 7%, citing trade deals and GST rationalisation.
The Reserve Bank of India raised quarter wise real GDP forecasts for Q1 and Q2 of FY27 to 6.9% and 7.0% respectively, revising up earlier projections and announcing that full year 2026-27 estimates will follow in April after adoption of updated GDP and CPI series (base 2024=100). The upward revision is attributed to stronger agricultural output, trade agreements, GST rationalisation, and sustaining demand from private consumption and fixed investment.

RBI pause on rate cuts: repo rate held at 5.25% with neutral stance, sparking equity declines and IT selling pressure.
The Reserve Bank of India retained the repo rate at 5.25% and kept a neutral stance in its sixth bi monthly monetary policy review, pausing further rate cuts amid geopolitical uncertainties; the pause coincided with a market reaction of lower equity indices, IT sector selling pressure, and foreign institutional outflows.

RBI monetary policy: repo rate unchanged, neutral stance; measures for fraud compensation and MSME credit expansion.
Monetary policy retains the repo rate at 5.25% with a neutral stance, revises GDP and CPI projections for Q1-Q2 FY27, notes muted underlying inflation excluding precious metals, and records forex reserves. Operational measures include a customer fraud compensation framework up to Rs 25,000, protections against digital fraud for senior citizens, doubling collateral free MSME loans to Rs 20 lakh, allowing banks to lend to REITs, and relaxing certain NBFC branch opening norms.

VinFast India and Bank of Baroda sign MoU to provide INR 200 crore in dealer invoice financing for dealers.
An MoU between VinFast Auto India and Bank of Baroda establishes dealer invoice financing: Bank of Baroda will extend INR 200 crore on flexible terms to VinFast dealers, using its pan India network and digital platforms to provide supply chain and inventory financing tailored to dealer liquidity and distribution expansion.

RBI pauses rate cuts, keeps repo at 5.25% with neutral stance amid low inflation and rupee depreciation risks.
The Monetary Policy Committee retained the repo rate at 5.25 per cent with a neutral stance, pausing further rate cuts after cumulative easing of 125 basis points since February 2025. The decision reflects very low CPI-based retail inflation-including a 0.25 per cent trough in October 2025-and the statutory inflation mandate of 4 per cent 2 percentage points, while weighing stronger GDP growth and a significant rupee depreciation that could raise imported inflation risks.

Rupee rises on central bank monetary policy anticipation; gains limited by FII outflows and rising crude oil prices.
Rupee appreciation to 90.23 against the US dollar was driven by market positioning ahead of the central bank's monetary policy announcement, with guidance from that announcement cited as the main near term driver. Gains were capped by net foreign portfolio outflows, a firmer dollar index and rising global crude oil prices, which together limited stronger upward movement and shaped short term market expectations.

Haryana agriculture: State targets Rs3.67 lakh crore priority sector credit and promotes tech-driven rural development.
Haryana's strategy pairs innovation and institutional finance to tackle agricultural challenges by prioritising infrastructure and productivity intensification. NABARD's State Focus Paper 2026-27 sets the state's priority sector credit potential at Rs 3.67 lakh crore-Rs 1.32 lakh crore for agriculture and Rs 2.11 lakh crore for MSMEs-while RIDF sanctions support roads, irrigation, storage, renewable energy and social infrastructure. The plan also focuses on Smart Agriculture Zones, crop diversification, micro irrigation, FPO strengthening, cooperative reform, timely bank credit and measures to improve farm to market linkages.

Rupee inches up on India-US trade optimism but faces pressure from dollar demand, oil prices, and RBI rate uncertainty.
The rupee rose to 90.34 against the US dollar on optimism about an India-US trade deal and lower commodity prices, though gains were capped by corporate dollar demand and weak equities. Analysts projected USD INR trading ranges near 90.00-90.50 and 90.05-90.88. The RBI's Monetary Policy Committee met to set bi monthly rates, with the bank having cut the repo by 125 basis points since last February and facing a choice between status quo and a further cut; dollar strength, crude prices and FIIs' selling were noted as sources of pressure.

Stock markets fell sharply as risk-off ahead of the central bank policy decision and global cues drove sectoral selling.
Equity benchmarks fell sharply as risk-off sentiment ahead of the Reserve Bank's Monetary Policy Committee decision and adverse global cues triggered sectoral selling in metal, IT and capital goods; modest domestic and foreign institutional buying the prior session did not avert the decline.

Rupee rises amid trade-deal optimism as markets await RBI interest-rate decision while equities cap gains.
Rupee gains were driven by optimism over an India-US trade deal and lower commodity prices but capped by corporate dollar demand, weak equities and undocumented deal terms. Market focus shifted to verification and the upcoming Reserve Bank of India Monetary Policy Committee decision; analysts expect either status quo or a modest additional rate cut, with the RBI's announcement, the dollar index and Brent crude futures seen as principal near-term determinants of the rupee's trajectory.