Mumbai | Following are the highlights of the bi-monthly monetary policy announced by Reserve Bank Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Friday:
* Benchmark lending rates unchanged with repo rate at 5.25 pc;
* Monetary policy stance remains neutral;
* GST reforms, monetary easing, low inflation to support pvt consumption; * Trade deals to boost exports;
* GDP growth projections revised upwards for Q1 and Q2 of FY27 to 6.9 pc and 7 pc, respectively;
* Measures in Union Budget conducive for economic growth;
* Retail inflation for current fiscal projected at 2.1 pc;
* CPI inflation for Q1 and Q2 of FY27 projected at 4 pc and 4.2 pc, respectively;
* Excluding precious metals, underlying inflation pressures remain muted; * India's forex reserves stood at USD 723.8 bn;
* Framework soon to compensate customers up to Rs 25,000 for losses in frauds;
* RBI proposes measures to protect senior citizens from digital frauds;
* Collateral-free loan limit for MSMEs to be doubled to Rs 20 lakh;
* Banks to be allowed lend to REITs;
* Branch opening norms for certain types of NBFCs to be relaxed;
* Next meeting of RBI's MPC scheduled for April 6- 8, 2026.
