RBI to conduct frequent term repos for flexible cash management

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said it would conduct more frequent term repos but retained the overall borrowing limit for lenders, in a bid to make borrowing more flexible without injecting additional liquidity into markets.

The RBI said it would conduct 14-day term repo auctions four times during a two-weekly reporting cycle, or every Tuesday and Friday, from Sept 5.

The central bank will also conduct 3 to 4 day term repo auctions but only from Sept 5 to 12.

To further manage liquidity conditions starting next month, the RBI said it could also auction overnight variable rate repos, while saying it could also choose to sell part of the government's cash balances.

Although the intent was to provide more flexible borrowing options for lenders, the impact on bond markets was muted because the RBI continued to cap the total amount lenders can borrow via term repos to 0.75 percent of lenders' deposits.

(Reuters)