Deposit rate cuts start trickling in at lenders
Reserve Bank of India is expected to announce another policy rate cut next week, while a further improvement in liquidity conditions is also seen.
HDFC Bank, Yes Bank and Bandhan Bank, as well as NBFC Bajaj Finance, have all reduced deposit rates this week. This would eventually lead to lower lending rates and improve transmission of policy rates, treasury officials said.
RBI has purchased bonds worth ₹1.4 lakh crore since January to improve liquidity in the financial system. On Tuesday, it announced buyback of another ₹80,000 crore.
In February, the central bank cut the repo rate for the first time in five years, by a quarter percentage point. The Monetary Policy Committee will announce its bi-monthly rate decision on April 9, when it is widely expected to cut the rate by another quarter percentage point.
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Most banks are expected to start lowering deposit rates this quarter. They have reduced those based on the external benchmark lending rate (EBLR), which is linked to the repo rate. However, they are unlikely to immediately lower the lending rate based on their marginal cost of funds (MCLR), bankers said. A cut in deposit rates paves the way for a fall in MCLR.
HDFC Bank, Yes Bank and Bajaj Finance have cut deposit rates by 0.25-0.40 percentage point, while Bandhan Bank has slashed rates on savings accounts by as much as half.
Less Interest on Special Deposits
Significantly, banks are cutting rates at a time when the government has kept the small savings rate unchanged for April-June for all