Consumer inflation may see an uptick at 5.5-6% in the fourth quarter of 2017 as a result of fading demonetization impact, while rising exports are likely to aid economic recovery, says a Nomura report.
Consumer inflation may see an uptick at 5.5-6% in the fourth quarter of 2017 as a result of fading demonetization impact, while rising exports are likely to aid economic recovery, says a Nomura report.
Besides, one-off risk to inflation also emanate from the implementation of GST and house rent allowance increases for government employees, the Japanese brokerage firm said.
"... as the year progresses, we expect inflation to rise to 5.5-6% in the fourth quarter of 2017 and first half of 2018, on fading transitory factors (demonetisation and pulses deflation), rising cyclical drivers (narrowing output gap, higher rural wage growth) and adverse base effects," Nomura said in a research note.
According to official figures, retail inflation jumped to a five-month high of 3.81% in March, while inflation at the wholesale level eased to 5.7% in March.
For 2017-18, the RBI projected retail inflation to average 4.5% in the first half and 5% in the second half.
The Reserve Bank frames its monetary policy on the basis of retail inflation.
The Nomura RBI Policy Signal Index (NRPSI), which measures the likelihood of monetary easing versus tightening in the near term, stood at 0 in April suggesting a neutral policy stance in the near term.
"We expect policy rates to remain on hold in 2017, but given our expectation of higher inflation of 5.5-6% by the fourth quarter of 2017, we expect the RBI to hike by a cumulative 50 bps in 2018," it added.
Earlier this month, the Reserve Bank of India had left key policy rate unchanged at 6.25% for the third review in a row citing upside risks to inflation. It had, however, increased the reverse repo rate -- which it pays to banks for parking funds with it -- by 0.25% to 6%, narrowing the policy rate corridor.
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