New Delhi: Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das addressed a press conference announcing measures to ease the financial stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.


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This is his third press conference (the other two being on March 27 and April 17). The RBI reduced the repo rate - by 40 basis points from 4.4 percent to 4 percent while the reverse repo gets adjusted to 3.35% from 3.75%.


Here are the updates


Das says: In view of the extension of the lockdown and continuing disruption on account of COVID-19, these measures are being further extended by another 3 months from June 1 to August 31


RBI announces extension of loan moratorium by 3 more months to August 31 (From June 1 till August 31)


RBI to increase export credit period to 15 months from 1 year


RBI will extend Rs 15,000-cr line of credit to EXIM Bank


RBI has decided to roll over the facility of Rs 15,000 crore for another 90 days in SIDBI


India's foreign exchange reserves have increased by 9.2 billion during 2020-21 from 1st April onwards. So far, up to 15th May, foreign exchange reserves stand at USD 487 billion


Amidst this encircling gloom agriculture and allied activities have, however, provided a beacon of hope on the back of an increase of 3.7% in food grain production to a new record


Measures announced today can be divided into 4 categories -- to improve functioning of markets, to support exports and imports, to ease financial stress by giving relief on debt servicing and better access to working capital&to ease financial constraints faced by state govts


GDP growth in FY'21 expected to remain in the negative territory. Expect some pick-up in growth in H2


MPC believes that headline inflation should remain firm in the 1st half of 2020 and should ease in the second half of 2020


Exports have suffered their worst slump in the last 30 years


Food inflation has increased to 8.6% in April 2020


Industrial production shrank by 17% in March


Services PMI plunged to an all-time low in April


RBI is maintaining accommodative stance till growth revives


Value of global trade can contract by 13-32% this year


Global services PMI recorded the steepest decline in history


RBI MPC voted 5-1 in favour of 40 bps repo rate cut to 4%


Reverse Repo gets adjusted to 3.35% from 3.75%


RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das announces repo rate cut of 40 bps i.e, from 4.4 percent to 4 percent


COVID-19 Pandemic has crippled the global economy. RBI Governor says we must keep faith in India's resilience