Banks may cut interest rates in next few days: Shaktikanta Das

New Delhi: Asserting that India is moving towards a low interest rate regime, Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das on Friday said banks are expected to cut interest rates over the next few days in light of the recent monetary policy easing by RBI.

"Banks are autonomous and the government has given very strong signal by maintaining the fiscal deficit at 3.5 percent and resetting small savings rates. RBI has reduced the policy rate by 25 basis points. One would expect banks to take a policy call and I am sure they would do it in days and weeks to come," he said on the sidelines of an event here.

The Reserve Bank, in its first bi-monthly policy review of the current fiscal on April 5, cut interest rate by 0.25 percent and introduced a host of measures to smoothen liquidity supply to help banks lend more money to productive sectors and indicated an accommodative stance, going ahead.

Banks are now also expected to do effective transmission of rates, he said, adding that part of it has already been done by adopting the Marginal Cost of Funds-based Lending Rate (MCLR) and reducing the rate of interest marginally.

"We would expect the banks to do a more effective transmission of rates. I do expect banks to take steps in that direction," he said.

Das further said India is moving towards a low interest rate regime as inflation is under control.

"We are looking at a regime of low interest rates, thanks to inflation being under control and various measures which the government has taken. The finance minister has given a very strong message that India should move to a low interest regime by sticking to the fiscal deficit of 3.5 percent," he added.