
Growth, Inflation, the Rupee: What Should the RBI Prioritise?
The Reserve Bank of India faces an increasingly difficult monetary policy challenge. With inflation picking up, the rupee under persistent pressure and economic growth showing signs of recovery, the RBI must decide how to balance three competing priorities. But can it address all three without compromising one for the other? And should stabilising the rupee become a bigger consideration in its interest rate decisions? In this episode of How India's Economy Works, journalist and author Puja Mehra speaks with economist Rahul Bajoria, Head of India and ASEAN Economic Research at Bank of America about the RBI's monetary policy dilemma and the case for normalising interest rates without tightening too aggressively. They discuss why higher interest rates may not necessarily attract foreign capital, the limitations of using monetary policy to defend the rupee, and why India's ability to attract global investment depends more on its growth prospects than on offering higher yields. They also examine the risks of premature tightening, the possibility of inflation becoming more widespread, and the potential impact of higher borrowing costs on investment and the economic recovery. Tune in for insights on the RBI's policy choices, the rupee's persistent weakness, foreign capital flows and the trade-offs between inflation control and economic growth. CHAPTERS (00:00) The Macroeconomic Policy Trilemma (01:19) Conflicting Objectives Facing the Central Bank (05:19) Gauging Financial and Exchange Stability (10:12) Tenuous Link Between Rates and Inflows (13:16) Balancing Inflation Normalisation and Growth (15:29) Assessing Risks of Generalised Inflation (16:58) The Case Against Aggressive Rate Tightening (19:31) Growth Risks from High Borrowing Costs For more of our coverage check out thecore.in Follow us on: Twitter | Instagram | Linkedin | Youtube















