RBI cuts lending rate by 0.25 per cent to 6 per cent; projects GDP growth for 2019-20 at 7.2%

The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) today cut benchmark lending rate by 0.25 per cent to 6 per cent.

The decisioncame as a relief for home loan buyers.

The RBI maintained a neutral stance on the monetary policy.

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The central bankprojected GDP growth for 2019-20 at 7.2 per cent. RBI revised downward retail inflation estimate to 2.4 per cent in Q4 FY19, 2.9-3 per cent in H1 FY20 and 3.5-3.8 per cent in H2 FY20.

Four out of six MPC members voted for the rate cut while the other two members favoured no change in repo rate, the RBI informed.

In February, the RBI had cut interest rates for the first time in 18 months by 25 basis points to 6.25 per cent. The move was as a result of low inflation at the time. Besides the repo rate, reverse repo was reduced to 6 per cent from 6.25 per cent.

Repo rate is the rate at which commercial banks borrow money from the RBI; while reverse repo rate is the rate at which RBI collects money from banks.

RBI had last hiked interest rates in August 2018 by 0.25 per cent. It came on back of a similar increase in June, 2018.