The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday announced that it will conduct Open Market Operation (OMO) sale auctions of government securities worth ₹1 lakh crore in three tranches, as the central bank reviews evolving liquidity conditions in the financial system.
According to the RBI’s latest announcement, the OMO sales will be conducted through multi-security auctions using the multiple-price method. The first auction, involving securities worth ₹50,000 crore, will be held on September 17, followed by two auctions of ₹25,000 crore each on September 21 and September 28.
Why is the RBI conducting ₹1 lakh crore OMO sales?
The RBI said the decision was taken after a review of current and evolving liquidity conditions. Through OMO sales, the central bank sells government securities from its portfolio, absorbing liquidity from the banking system.
The RBI, however, has not specified the security-wise amount that will be sold in the first ₹50,000 crore auction.
Which government securities will be offered in auction?
The September 17 auction will include six government securities with maturities ranging from March 2029 to February 2032. These include the 7.59% Government Security (GS) 2029, 6.79% GS 2029, 7.61% GS 2030, 5.77% GS 2030, 6.68% GS 2031 and 8.28% GS 2032.
The aggregate notified amount for the auction is ₹50,000 crore, although the RBI has not assigned a specific amount to each security.
Eligible participants will be required to submit their bids electronically through the RBI’s Core Banking Solution (E-Kuber) system between 9:30 am and 10:30 am on September 17. The auction results will be announced on the same day.
Successful participants will have to ensure that the securities are available in their Subsidiary General Ledger (SGL) accounts by 12 noon on September 18.
RBI also announces ₹24,000 crore Treasury Bill auction
Separately, the RBI also announced an auction of 91-day, 182-day and 364-day Treasury Bills worth a combined ₹24,000 crore on September 16.
The auction will comprise ₹9,000 crore of 91-day Treasury Bills, ₹8,000 crore of 182-day bills and ₹7,000 crore of 364-day bills. The auction will be held on Wednesday, September 16, with settlement scheduled for September 17.
The Treasury Bill auction will also use the multiple-price method. Competitive bids will be accepted between 10:30 am and 11:30 am, while non-competitive bids can be submitted between 10:30 am and 11 am.
The results will be announced on the day of the auction, with successful bidders required to make payment on September 17.
Disclaimer: We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
