Economists expect RBI to hike repo by 0.25% in October
Business
Most economists think the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will bump up its key interest rate by 0.25% in October 2026, according to a recent Times of India poll.
The repo rate is unchanged at 5.25%, but rising prices and global rate hikes are putting pressure on the RBI to act.
Experts see inflation above 4.7%
Experts expect inflation to go beyond RBI's earlier forecast of 4.7%.
Upasana Bhardwaj, Kotak Mahindra Bank chief economist, and Soumya Kanti Ghosh, SBI chief economic adviser, both see more hikes coming soon, while D K Joshi, Crisil chief economist, notes that policy options are getting tighter.
Still, some analysts say the RBI might wait until December for more data before making a move, unless inflation keeps climbing faster than expected.