Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on June 23 pumped in over Rs 1.41 lakh crore transient liquidity into the banking system through a seven-day variable rate repo (VRR) auction.
The funds were injected into the system at a cut-off rate and weighted average rate of 5.26 per cent, according to figures released by the RBI.
This was done after the liquidity in the banking system turned into a deficit of Rs 19,971.89 crore as on June 22, from a surplus of Rs 30,685.11 crore as on June 21.
Analysts said that the outflow of money from banks due to goods and services tax (GST) payments had led to the tightening of liquidity in the system.
The decline in liquidity had brought overnight money market rates under pressure, with the weighted average call money rate trading at 5.43 per cent, which is 0.18 per cent above the RBI’s repo rate.
If banking liquidity tightens excessively due to events like Goods and Services Tax (GST) outflows, short-term money market rates (such as the weighted average call money rate) can push above the RBI’s standard repo rate. By stepping in with liquidity injections, the RBI ensures that short-term funding pressures ease and credit continues to flow smoothly across the financial system without triggering economic slowdowns.
The RBI routinely injects transient and durable liquidity into the banking system to manage short-term deficits caused by tax outflows, advance tax payments, or seasonal credit demand. The central bank achieves this through various monetary tools and market operations.
The apex bank frequently conducts VRR auctions, including 3-day or 7-day tenors, to infuse substantial transient liquidity into the banking system. Banks pledge eligible government securities to borrow funds directly from the central bank.
