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The Daily Brief · 8 October 2026

RBI raises repo rate to 5.50%, shifts stance to 'calibrated tightening'

On 7 October 2026, the Reserve Bank of India's six-member Monetary Policy Committee raised the policy repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.50 per cent, the first increase since February 2023. The rate decision was unanimous, while the shift in stance from "neutral" to "calibrated tightening" passed by a 4-2 majority. Following the hike, the Standing Deposit Facility rate stands at 5.25 per cent and the Marginal Standing Facility rate and the bank rate at 5.75 per cent. The next MPC meeting is scheduled for 2-4 December 2026. The RBI had held the rate at 6.50 per cent from April 2023 to December 2024, cut it in phases during 2025 to 5.25 per cent, and paused at that level through four meetings. The October turn was driven by broadening inflation risk: the West Asia conflict re-escalated in September, Brent crude crossed 100 dollars a barrel, and headline CPI inflation…

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01RBI raises repo rate to 5.50%, shifts stance to 'calibrated tightening'
02Chemistry Nobel 2026 for Kagan and Soai: cracking the mirror-image mystery
03SIR fallout: special camps for left-out voters; Supreme Court examines plea on CEC-appointment law

Read the full brief · 8 October 2026 Browse the section

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8 October 2026 · Daily Brief

The Daily Brief: A hawkish RBI and Nobel week

RBI raises repo rate to 5.50%, shifts stance to 'calibrated tightening' · Chemistry Nobel 2026 for Kagan and Soai: cracking the mirror-image mystery · SIR fallout: special camps for left-out voters; Supreme Court examines plea on CEC-appointment law

27 September 2026

RBI's forex playbook, decoded: FCNR(B), reserves, and $104 oil

Why RBI opened a special $143.6 billion forex window, what record reserves insure against at $104 oil, and how to read a Bulletin like an examiner.