RBI May Hold Interest Rates This Year: Moody’s

New Delhi: Moody’s Ratings on Friday forecast a 7.2 per cent GDP growth for India in 2024, saying the Indian economy is in a sweet spot, but inflation risks may prompt the RBI to retain a relatively tight monetary policy this year. Moody’s said that despite the near-term uptick, retail inflation should moderate toward the Reserve Bank’s target in the coming months as food prices ease amid higher sowing and adequate food grain buffer stocks.

The retail inflation scaled to a 14-month high of 6.21, breaching the RBI’s upper tolerance limit, on a sharp jump in vegetable prices. The agency said sporadic food price pressures continue to inject volatility in the disinflation trajectory.