The Indian rupee is underperforming among emerging Asian currencies due to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) strategy to bolster its foreign-exchange reserves. The RBI’s dollar purchases to cover future obligations and replenish reserves are expected to exert downward pressure on the rupee, potentially leading to a depreciation to 86.50-87.50 per dollar by year-end.
Banks unlikely to reduce deposit rates despite RBI easing
Following the latest repo rate decrease, bankers foresee only slight adjustments to deposit rates. The landscape, characterized by sluggish savings yields and elevated credit-deposit ratios,