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Inflation Targeting In India

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Inflation targeting is a monetary policy strategy used by Central Banks for maintaining price level at a certain level or within a range. It indicates the primacy of price stability as the key objective of monetary policy. The argument for price stability stems from the fact that rising prices create uncertainties in decision making, adversely affecting savings and encouraging speculative investments.  Inflation targeting brings in more predictability and transparency in deciding monetary policy.  If the central banks could ensure price stability, households and companies can plan ahead, negotiating wages on the basis of expecting low and stable inflation. Various advanced economies including United States, Canada and Australia have been using inflation targeting as a strategy in their monetary policy framework. The case for inflation targeting has been made in India as the country has been experiencing a high level of inflation till recently.

The Reserve Bank of India and Government of India signed a Monetary Policy Framework Agreement on 20th February 2015. As per terms of the agreement, the objective of monetary policy framework would be primarily to maintain price stability, while keeping in mind the objective of growth. The monetary policy framework would be operated by the RBI. RBI would aim to contain consumer price inflation within 6 percent by January 2016 and within 4 percent with a band of (+/-) 2 percent for all subsequent years.

The central bank would be seen as failing to meet the targets, if retail inflation is more than 6 per cent for three consecutive quarters from 2015-16 and less than 2 per cent for three consecutive  quarters from 2016-17. If this happens, RBI will have to explain the reason for its failure to meet as well as give a timeframe within which it will achieve it. RBI will publish the operating targets as well as operating procedure for the monetary policy though which the target for the monetary policy will be achieved. The RBI will also be required to bring a document every six months to explain the sources of inflation and forecast for inflation for next 6-18 months.

RBI has been using headline CPI (Combined) inflation as the nominal anchor for monetary policy stance from April 2014 onwards.  


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