Softening Inflation offers scope for another Rate Cut in FY’17.

Benign inflation numbers and likelihood of a dovish monetary policy committee stance leaves the door open for further monetary policy easing this fiscal. The move could fuel additional growth by supporting government’s effort to boost economic growth to above 8 per cent to create job opportunities.

The sharp retreat in consumer inflation to a 13-month low at 4.31 per cent in September 2016 from 5.05 per cent in August 2016 is indeed a good reason for cheer, particularly when the festival season is round the corner. Retail inflation, the RBI’s benchmark price gauge has fallen below the tolerance level, leaving scope for a reduction in policy rates. The government had recently notified an annual inflation target of 4 per cent plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Further, India's wholesale prices cooled in September after touching a two year high in August. WPI inflation in September was 3.57 per cent compared with 3.74 per cent in August. Similar to retail inflation, the drop in wholesale inflation is attributed to easing food prices. Good rains kept a lid on food prices as food inflation moderated to 5.75 per cent year-on-year in September 2016 and lower than 8.23 per cent in the previous month.

The recently formed Reserve Bank of India Monetary Policy Committee, under new Governor Urjit Patel, slashed the rates by 25 basis points to 6.25 per cent in a surprise move on October 4, 2016, after inflation hit a five-month low in August.

The change in the RBI’s policy position with respect to the cut in real interest to 1.25 per cent from the 1.5 per cent -2.0 per cent range along with expanding the time to achieve 4 per cent inflation by three years to March 2021 from March 2018 provides with additional room for monetary easing in the near-term.

Since the start of 2015, the RBI has cut 175 basis points from its key repo rate. But, after the next expected cut to 6 per cent, the central bank is now projected to hold rates steady for the rest of the 12-month survey horizon.

A rate cut from here-on would help the Indian government in its efforts to lift the economic growth to above 8 per cent. It was last measured at 7.1 per cent in the March-June quarter from 7.5 per cent in the year ago period.

Latin Manharlal

India’s factory activity moderates in September

India’s manufacturing activity has moderated in September indicating that the growth in the sector has lost some momentum, creating a case for a reduction in interest rates by the Reserve Bank of India.

According to a Markit Economics report, Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index, a gauge measuring activity in the manufacturing sector stood at 52.1 in September compared to 52.6 in August, with a reading above 50 signaling expansion in the manufacturing activity over the previous month.

The activity in the Indian manufacturing industry eased slightly in September but the output is still rising at a decent pace and the sector looks likely to have delivered a stronger contribution to the GDP growth in Q2 FY2016/17, with the quarterly reading for the PMI’s Output Index up from 51.4 during April-June to 53.6.

The biggest area of strength for factory growth was the external demand as firms witnessed robust surge in new export orders since July 2015, supported by the growth in output and purchasing activity, while new improved client demand also supported the upswing in order books.

As far as prices of manufacturing goods are concerned, the survey noted that the average purchase costs increased at a faster pace in September, but one that was weak compared to its long-run trend. Data implied that manufacturers attempted to protect profit margins as output charges were raised further.

Despite ticking higher, the rate of inflation was historically muted and it has given the central bank enough room to ease policy further. The Reserve Bank of India in its monetary policy review today slashed its key lending rate or the repo rate by 25 basis points to a six-year low of 6.25 per cent, from 6.5 per cent.

Consumer inflation in India cooled sharply to 5.05 per cent in August, almost at the RBI's March 2017 medium-term target of 5 per cent, and with favorable monsoon rains, it is expected to tread lower in the coming months.