No rate cut, but RBI steps up to lift credit, buoy biz

Hint of December rate cut after two pauses; multiple measures to ease credit

- Anshika Kayastha

The central bank unwrapped a box of goodies to power credit and business on Wednesday, even as it delivered a better growth outlook and kept policy rates untouched.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.5% for the second time in a row, while nudging up the GDP estimate for the year from 6.5% to 6.8%, citing the economy's resilience in the face of turbulence. The policy panel now sees inflation this year at 2.6% as against 3.1% earlier, thanks to the recent big-bang cuts in goods and services tax (GST).