Repo Rate :-
Repo (Repurchase) rate also known as the benchmark interest rate is the rate at which the RBI lends money to the commercial banks for a short-term (max. 90 days). When the repo rate increases, borrowing from RBI becomes more expensive. If RBI wants to make it more expensive for the banks to borrow money, it increases the repo rate similarly, if it wants to make it cheaper for banks to borrow money it reduces the repo rate. If the repo rate is increased, banks can't carry out their business at a profit whereas the very opposite happens when the repo rate is cut down. Generally, repo rates are cut down whenever the country needs to progress in banking and economy.
Reverse Repo Rate (RRR) :-
Reverse Repo Rate is just the opposite of repo rate. Reverse Repo rate is the short term borrowing rate at which RBI borrows money from banks. The reserve bank uses this tool when it feels there is too much money floating in the banking system. An increase in the reverse repo rate means that the banks will get a higher rate of interest from RBI. As a result, banks prefer to lend their money to RBI which is always safe instead of lending it to others (people, companies etc.) which is always risky.
Statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) :-
CRR, banks are required to maintain liquid assets in the form of gold, cash and approved securities. Higher liquidity ratio forces commercial banks to maintain a larger proportion of their resources in liquid form and thus reduces their capacity to grant loans and advances, thus it is an anti-inflationary impact. A higher liquidity ratio diverts the bank funds from loans and advances to investment in government and approved securities.
- Minimum margins for lending against specific securities.
- Ceiling on the amounts of credit for certain purposes.
- The discriminatory rate of interest charged on certain types of advances.
Bank Rate :-
It is defined in Sec 49 of RBI Act of 1934 as the ‘standard rate at which RBI is prepared to buy or rediscount bills of exchange or other commercial papers eligible for purchase'. When banks want to borrow long term funds from RBI, it is the interest rate which RBI charges to them.
Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) :-
CRR refers to the ratio of bank’s cash reserve balances with RBI with reference to the bank’s net demand & time liabilities to ensure the liquidity & solvency of the scheduled banks. The share of net demand and time liabilities that banks must maintain as cash with RBI.
Open Market Operation (OMO) :-
Open market operation is the activity of buying and selling of government securities in open market to control the supply of money in banking system. When there is excess supply of money, central bank sells government securities thereby sucking out excess liquidity. Similarly, when liquidity is tight, RBI will buy government securities and thereby inject money supply into the economy.
