The central bank unveils liquidity facility of ₹50,000 crore for access to emergency health services, and ₹10,000 crore for small finance banks’ on-lending, among a slew of measures to fight Covid-19.
The 35 basis point repo rate cut is not the first unconventional rate action from the central bank as two repo rate actions in March 2003 saw a 40 and 10 basis points reduction in a matter of 13 days.
The central bank announces several measures along with the rate hike, including increasing the limit for home loans, to qualify for “priority sector lending”.