RBI MPC meeting: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) monetary policy committee (MPC) is all set to announce the outcome of its first monetary policy meeting for the financial year 2026–27 (FY27) on Wednesday, April 8. Led by Governor Sanjay Malhotra, the six-member MPC will review crucial factors such as interest rates, the inflation outlook, and economic growth prospects.
This policy announcement comes amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and a depreciating rupee. It follows the Reserve Bank of India’s decision in February 2026 to maintain the repo rate at 5.25%, after cumulative rate cuts of 125 basis points during 2025.
At its February meeting, the MPC unanimously chose to keep rates unchanged at 5.25% and adopted a ‘wait-and-watch’ stance, focusing on maintaining stability after a phase of substantial policy adjustments.
RBI MPC Meeting date and time
The Monetary Policy Committee’s bi-monthly meeting for this month is being held from April 6 to April 8, 2026. The policy decision will be announced at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 8, followed by a press conference by Governor Sanjay Malhotra at noon.
Where and how to watch the RBI MPC meeting?
The RBI MPC statement by Governor Sanjay Malhotra will be broadcast live on the RBI’s YouTube channel at 10:00 AM on April 8, 2026. Viewers can tune in on the same platform to watch his address to the media.
You can also track live updates of the RBI announcement here with Mint.
RBI MPC meeting: What to expect from the upcoming central bank’s announcement?
Market experts believe the central bank will likely leave repo rates unchanged, even though the swaps market is pricing in a 1.5 rate hike in April and another increase in June, on expectations that the RBI will act aggressively to curb oil-driven inflation.
Apoorva Javadekar, Chief Economist at Muthoot FinCorp, expects the RBI to keep the repo rate unchanged at 5.25%, driven by concerns over a potential slowdown in GDP growth amid external challenges. Additionally, with India entering the oil price shock phase with relatively low inflation (3.21% in February 2026), the RBI has sufficient room to adopt a wait-and-watch approach.
“The pause will also allow real interest rates in India to fall, which are on the higher side and provide much-needed support to boost the capex and consumption story supported by strong bank and NBFC balance sheets. Lastly, the RBI is unlikely to use repo rate hike as an instrument to stabilise the INR, further bolstering our prediction of a pause,” Javadekar said.
Meanwhile, brokerage firm Yes Bank said in its Ecologue report that the rate cutting cycle is over as inflation trends higher, INR depreciation pressure bites and global central banks signal caution on inflation and rate cycle.
“A rate hike is also not imminent as India stepped into the current crisis from an advantageous position of low inflation-high growth. Our current expectation for inflation is at 4.5- 4.8% in the most adverse condition, if the fiscal continues to absorb most of the burden,” the firm said in the report.
Disclaimer: This story is for educational purposes only. The views and recommendations above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, not Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
