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RBI launches 3 surveys for inflation, consumer confidence, policy input

RBI launches 3 surveys for inflation, consumer confidence, policy input

The Reserve Bank on Tuesday launched three key surveys, including inflation expectations, to gather useful inputs for monetary policy decisions.
The RBI normally holds six bi-monthly monetary policy reviews in a financial year. The last meeting was held earlier this month, and the next meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee is scheduled for June 4-6.
The May round of the Inflation Expectations Survey of Households (IESH) aims at capturing subjective assessments on price movements and inflation, based on their individual consumption baskets, across 19 cities.
The central bank said the Urban Consumer Confidence Survey (UCCS) seeks qualitative responses from households, regarding their sentiments on the general economic situation, employment scenario, price level, and households' income and spending. This study, too, will be carried out in 19 cities.
The Rural Consumer Confidence Survey (RCCS) will collect current perceptions and one-year-ahead expectations of households on general economic situation, employment scenario, overall price situation, own income and spending from the households residing in the rural and semi-urban areas across 31 states/ Union Territories.
The Reserve Bank of India has been regularly conducting these surveys.
The results of the surveys provide useful inputs for monetary policy, the RBI said.
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Why isn't your home loan EMI dropping after RBI rate cuts? Blame your lender
Why isn't your home loan EMI dropping after RBI rate cuts? Blame your lender

Time of India

time17 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Why isn't your home loan EMI dropping after RBI rate cuts? Blame your lender

Banks vs HFCs Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills How a rate fall impacts EMIs Which lender approves faster? Making the right choice The way forward Have you ever wondered why your home loan EMI refuses to budge even when the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announces a rate cut? If you've borrowed from a Housing Finance Company (HFC), you're not alone in this frustration. While your friend with a bank loan celebrates a lower EMI within weeks, you might wait months—or may not see the benefit at culprit isn't inefficiency but a fundamental difference in how banks and HFCs operate—one that can cost you thousands over your loan's lifetime, making lender choice far more critical than most is where the question of where you borrow from, a bank or an HFC, becomes crucial. While both provide home loans , their business models, funding sources, and regulatory frameworks differ.'Banks raise funds primarily from customer deposits, which gives them access to low-cost capital. This allows them to offer lower interest rates and, importantly, makes it easier to pass on the benefits of a repo rate cut. Since October 2019, banks have been required to link all new floating-rate home loans to an external benchmark, most often the RBI's repo rate,' explains Vipul Patel, Founder & MD, This means that changes in policy rates are transmitted quickly, often showing up in the borrower's EMI within a by contrast, raise funds from banks or from the market, often at higher costs. Their lending rates are usually pegged to their own internal benchmark—the Prime Lending Rate (PLR)—which they adjust at their discretion. These adjustments tend to happen less frequently. As a result, even if the RBI cuts rates, HFC borrowers may have to wait longer to see the benefit, and the reduction may be smaller than the headline cut.'In HFCs, reset periods are typically longer, commonly six to twelve months, so borrowers may face delays. To access lower rates, they usually need to request a conversion and pay a switch-over fee, which is allowed under National Housing Bank (NHB) guidelines,' says Akhil Rathi, Head – Financial Advisory, 1 Finance. While NHB also places limits on prepayment penalties for floating-rate loans, other charges like processing fees still apply when switching between lenders. However, the differences go beyond the past five to six years, home loan borrowers have seen interest rates fluctuate in ways that have had a direct impact on their finances. In October 2019, the RBI's repo rate stood at 5.15%. By May 2020, as the pandemic hit the economy, it was cut sharply to 4%, the lowest in decades, making home loans cheaper than ever before. Rates remained at that level for almost two years, giving borrowers some much-needed breathing space. However, by mid-2022, inflationary pressures prompted the central bank to resume rate hikes, and by February 2023, the repo rate had climbed to 6.50%.Interest rates are passed on faster by a bank, but there are more factors to be much of 2024, rates remained unchanged, but in early 2025, the trend reversed as inflation eased. Between February and June 2025, the RBI cut rates by a full percentage point, bringing the repo to 5.50%. When rates fall, borrowers with floating-rate loans stand to save thousands over the life of their loan. A cut of just 0.25 percentage points on a Rs. 50 lakh loan for 20 years can reduce the monthly EMI by about Rs. 820 and total interest costs by nearly Rs. 2 the cut to 0.50 percentage points, and the savings rise to roughly Rs 1,640 per month, or close to Rs.4 lakh over the tenure. On larger loans, the benefit is even more striking: an EMI drop of over Rs 3,200 and interest savings of nearly Rs 8 lakh for a Rs 1 crore the size of the rate cut announced by the RBI is only half the story. The other half is whether, when, and how your lender passes on that benefit. If your loan rate hasn't moved despite central bank cuts, it could be because you're on a fixed-rate loan that stays unchanged until the reset date, your lender's quarterly or semiannual reset hasn't kicked in, or—especially with some HFCs—their borrowing costs haven't dropped enough to pass on a cut.'Loan sanctioning is usually more complex with banks in comparison to the HFCs,' says Adhil Shetty, CEO, 'Banks have more stringent paperwork requirements for home loans, while HFCs usually have fewer formalities. Banks are also more stringent on the credit score requirements. If you scan the loan marketplace, you'll see that HFCs have more relaxed policies towards customers with low credit scores.' However, with a low score, both banks and HFCs will likely charge you a higher interest rate, and the rate charged by an HFC would be significantly higher than that charged by a are also some misconceptions. One common belief is that HFCs can finance a bigger share of your home's value than banks. Shetty clarifies this is not true because both are bound by RBI's loan-to-value (LTV) rules. LTV stands for the maximum share of a property's value that a lender can finance. For example, up to 90% for smaller home loans (Rs.30 lakh or less), 80% for loans between Rs.30 lakh and Rs.75 lakh, and 75% for loans above Rs.75 buyer must pay the rest as a down payment. 'Neither banks nor HFCs can include stamp duty and registration costs in the property value while calculating LTV,' adds Shetty. Those charges always have to come out of your pocket. So, in terms of how much of the property price they can finance, HFCs have no advantage over banks, though they may be slightly more lenient on the Fixed Obligation to Income Ratio (FOIR), which gauges how much of your income goes to existing loans. If FOIR is too high, the lender may reject the loan or approve a smaller amount.'For someone in a stable, salaried job with a good credit score, a bank is likely to be the better option for the long term,' advises Patel of Mortgageworld. Not only are interest rates typically lower, but the faster transmission of rate cuts can make a significant difference over the life of the individuals, those with irregular income, or borrowers in urgent need of quick disbursal might find an HFC more accommodating. In cases where a property is part of a developer's tie-up with a particular HFC, starting with that lender might be the easiest path, with the possibility of refinancing to a bank later for a lower rate. Borrowers with borderline or low credit scores may also have a better chance of approval with an HFC, although they should be prepared to pay a higher interest the decision comes down to striking a balance between cost and convenience. A bank may save you more money over time, but an HFC may approve your loan when a bank won't or approve it faster. The good news is that with RBI regulation now covering both banks and HFCs, the playing field is more level than it used to be.'While the HFCs may be faster and more accommodating than banks, borrowers should be aware of trade-offs such as slower benefit from rate cuts, potentially higher interest costs, and fees for switching or converting rates,' says Rathi of 1 Finance. Proactively reviewing loan terms and monitoring interest rate movements can help maximise from Mortgageworld says that the remaining gaps between banks and HFCs must be closed. 'HFCs must be told to use external benchmarks that speed up rate transmission for their customers.' Standardising reset cycles, improving disclosure of the 'true' annual percentage rate, and making it easier and cheaper for borrowers to switch lenders would give consumers more power to make the choice that suits them best. 'The ultimate goal is a housing finance market where the decision between a bank and an HFC is based purely on service and borrower fit, not on who will pass on an RBI rate cut first,' he adds.

MSCI India in negative as world indices gain up to 18.9% in 2025-Why it is time to go global with your investments
MSCI India in negative as world indices gain up to 18.9% in 2025-Why it is time to go global with your investments

Time of India

time17 minutes ago

  • Time of India

MSCI India in negative as world indices gain up to 18.9% in 2025-Why it is time to go global with your investments

Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills Benefits of global diversification Risks involved How to invest? Tax implications The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) expects the economy to report a healthy real GDP growth of 6.5% year-on-year in 2025–26, supported by strong government capital expenditure, a favourable monsoon, falling interest rates, and a likely uptick in consumption. Additionally, macroeconomic tailwinds such as receding inflation and benign crude oil prices are expected to aid these positives, Indian equity markets have significantly underperformed in 2025 so far. While the MSCI India Index delivered a marginal -0.03% return, the MSCI Emerging Markets Index and the MSCI World Index posted impressive gains of 18.9% and 13.6%, respectively (in INR terms, from 1 January to 8 August).Factors such as stretched valuations, concerns over tariffs, strong foreign portfolio investor (FPI) outflows, and headwinds in export-driven sectors have contributed to the volatility in domestic diversification across domestic sectors can help manage volatility, a smarter approach to improving portfolio returns is global diversification—spreading investments across different countries and regions rather than concentrating them solely in equity markets of the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong remain the most liquid and accessible markets to Indian investors. While some can be tapped through mutual funds or exchange-traded funds (ETFs), others can only be explored through stockbrokers under the RBI's LRS (Liberalised Remittance Scheme).Investments in global markets help investors access developed markets with stable returns and emerging markets with strong growth global diversification provides exposure to broader sectors, for example, technology in the US, luxury goods in European markets, and manufacturing in Asia. Furthermore, country-specific risks (such as political, regulatory, and economic slowdown) can be mitigated through global investing. It also helps offset regional Moulik, Founder & CEO of Appreciate, a fintech company registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) and International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA), says that the India-US correlation has declined to 0.4-0.5 from historical levels of 0.6-0.7, providing genuine diversification benefits. During market stress periods, this divergence becomes pronounced and helps reduce regional rupee depreciation is a critical component that enhances returns from foreign investments. When an investor invests in global equities (say, US stocks), the returns are in USD. If the rupee weakens, each invested dollar converts into more rupees, which improves the there are benefits, investors also must consider the challenges involved. Geopolitical developments, trade wars, restrictions on foreign investments, rupee appreciation, taxation complexity, and higher costs are some of the key risks involved. Moreover, a lack of understanding of foreign markets as well as sector fundamentals can affect investment Goel, Founder and MD of Equentis Wealth Advisory Services, says that the portfolio performance can be affected if there are policy changes and sanctions on certain economies. He suggests global market exposure to certain countries to minimise the risks are multiple ways to get exposure to global markets. The investments can be routed through:India-domiciled mutual funds that invest in global equities or overseas funds are a good option for gaining exposure to global equities. Global ETFs listed on the BSE or National Stock Exchange (NSE), which track global indices, offer an alternative as the breach of the $7 billion industry cap—in 2021, Sebi allowed mutual funds to make overseas investments up to $1 billion per fund house with an overall industry limit of $7 billion—has badly hit fresh investments into such funds.'The industry limit has been almost fully utilised as of March 2024, with the latest status requiring verification from Sebi. This has forced multiple asset management companies (AMCs) to halt fresh investments in international funds,' adds to constrained investments, the prospective investors should verify availability directly with the fund houses. Some funds that are currently accepting investments are listed Indian funds maintain a slight exposure to global equities and provide the easiest way to gain exposure to global markets. However, the global exposure in such funds is not very significant and can only act as an a portfolio level, it may not provide adequate diversification. Moreover, such exposure is dependent on the fund manager's discretion. These are the top 5 funds with the biggest exposure to overseas equities (including overseas mutual fund units).This route is becoming increasingly attractive due to enhanced platform accessibility and automated compliance features. The LRS allows resident individuals to send up to $250,000 per financial year abroad for permitted purposes that include overseas education, travel, and investments in foreign stocks and mutual funds.'The LRS enables investment in overseas stocks, ETFs, and other securities via global brokerage accounts. In select cases, exposure is also possible through American or global depositary receipts (ADRs/GDRs) of foreign companies,' adds are several Indian fintech platforms (like Vested Finance, INDmoney, Appreciate, and Groww) and Indian brokers where investors can open accounts for investing through LRS. An account can also be opened with foreign open an account, an investor needs to submit their PAN card, Aadhaar card, bank statements, or address proof. Along with these, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) is second step is to link their bank account and facilitate the LRS by submitting Form A2 (an RBI-prescribed form that the bank requires an investor to fill for remittance) and a self-declaration for LRS to the bank. Indian residents must report foreign income or holding of foreign assets in ITR-2 while filing their income tax in Gujarat, it enables investors to access global stocks and ETFs through Indian brokers. Lower compliance requirements (no LRS paperwork), faster settlement, lower transaction costs, and tax efficiency (there are no transaction taxes, which include securities transaction tax and commodity transaction tax) are some of the key advantages of investing through GIFT comparing avenues for investing overseas, investors looking for wider global access should opt for LRS, whereas those seeking simplicity can consider GIFT City as and when opportunities open 2024-25 introduced favourable tax reforms, with long-term capital gains (LTCG) rates reduced from 20% to 12.5% for foreign stocks held beyond 24 indexation benefits were eliminated, the lower rate structure generally benefits most investors, particularly in inflationary environments. Overseas funds are also now taxed capital gains continue being taxed at applicable income tax slab rates, creating incentives for longer holding periods. Moreover, Double Tax Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs) signed with various countries play a crucial role in global investing. These ensure that taxpayers are not taxed twice on the same income (dividends, capital gains). If such income is taxed in the foreign country, the investor can claim credit and reduce tax liability in has DTAAs with over 90 countries, including the US, UK, Singapore, and dividend income faces 25% withholding under DTAA provisions, which can be claimed as a foreign tax credit through Form 67 to avoid double taxation. European dividends typically face higher withholding rates, though DTAA benefits vary by country and investment structure, explains Moulik.

Corporate borrowing shifts to banks as SBI MCLR spread over bonds narrows
Corporate borrowing shifts to banks as SBI MCLR spread over bonds narrows

Time of India

time19 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Corporate borrowing shifts to banks as SBI MCLR spread over bonds narrows

Mumbai: Corporates are poised to return to bank lending as the spread between State Bank of India 's (SBI) Marginal Cost of Funds-based Lending Rate ( MCLR ) and bond yields continues to narrow. The spread, which had widened to 210 basis points in April 2025, has now eased to around 150 bps, levels last seen before the RBI began cutting rates. The spread between SBI's MCLR (used as a proxy for bank lending rates) and AAA-rated bond yields was about 150 bps in January 2025, before the central bank began cutting rates. The gap widened to 210 bps but has since narrowed as bond yields rose after the August policy meeting. With MCLR expected to fall as deposit rate cuts feed through, the spread is likely to shrink further. Bonds Corner Powered By Corporate borrowing shifts to banks as SBI MCLR spread over bonds narrows Corporates are likely to increase bank borrowing as the gap between SBI's lending rates and bond yields shrinks. This spread, which had widened significantly, has now decreased, making bank loans more attractive. SBI anticipates double-digit growth in corporate loan demand as companies find bank financing more cost-effective than the bond market, especially with anticipated MCLR adjustments. Tall ask for policymakers as growth risks persist despite positive rural signals: HSBC MF S&P upgrade to boost foreign flows, lower funding costs for Indian companies: Vishal Goenka Euro zone bonds steady as traders mull hot US inflation, await Alaska summit Corporate bonds in 2–3 year segment offer 'best bang for buck': Shriram Ramanathan Browse all Bonds News with THE ECONOMIC TIMES This could bring demand back to the bank loan market. The country's largest lender, SBI, anticipates double-digit growth in corporate loan demand , driven in part by companies shifting away from the bond market in favour of bank financing. Live Events "I don't think there is a large movement of project-finance related activities into NCDs. It is only completed projects that go. We have good visibility on project finance proposals, which gives us confidence we will be able to come back to double-digit growth. Secondly, as MCLR gets readjusted, we become more competitive compared to the market, and that will also help us grow," said CS Setty, chairman of SBI. With MCLR set to fall and bond yields steady above 7%, bank loans are turning more cost-effective, even as corporate bond yields show little scope for decline. 'Corporates have been enjoying reasonably benign interest rates , and with system liquidity, the rates offered to AA and above corporates are pretty attractive,' HDFC Bank MD Sashidhar Jagdishan said during the bank's post-earnings call. 'For corporates we are comfortable with, we will participate in working capital demand.' Jagdishan added that lower interest rates, combined with fiscal support announced in the Union Budget and seasonal sentiment around festivals, could also lift credit demand. Demand for corporate bonds remains concentrated among asset managers such as insurers, the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation and mutual funds. According to India Ratings, the mandated return requirements of long-term investors will likely keep corporate bond yields anchored near 7%, limiting the scope for further decline. 'With MCLR falling and bond yields expected to stay range-bound, the spread could shrink further to 100–120 bps in the second half,' said Soumyajit Niyogi of India Ratings. 'The rate benefit is largely for top-rated companies, while arbitrage between bank loans and bonds is limited for AA-rated and below corporates. The shrinking spread may also slow the shift from bank loans to the bond market.'

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