Banks crowd RBI window as CRR measure sparks deficit

Lenders borrow nearly ₹90,000 crore from RBI's MSF window, the highest in a decade

- Gopika Gopakumar

Liquidity in the Indian banking system slipped into deficit for the first time this fiscal on the back of the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) temporary liquidity withdrawal, coupled with tax outflows.

Liquidity stood at a deficit of ₹23,644 crore as of 21 August, according to RBI data, prompting banks to borrow a whopping ₹189,813 crore from the RBI's Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) window on Monday, the most in a decade.

On 28 June, banks had borrowed nearly ₹171,050 crore through the MSF window at 6.75%. The repo rate is currently at 6.5%. MSF is a window for banks to borrow from the central bank in an emergency when interbank liquidity dries up.

On Tuesday, the overnight call money market rate-at which banks borrow orlend to each other for a day-also hardened above the MSF rate. Banks are facing a shortage of liquidity after the RBI ordered them to set aside 10% of their incremental deposits-known as the incremental cash reserve ratio (ICRR)-garnered between 19 May and 28 July.