The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will announce its bi-monthly monetary policy on Wednesday, October 7 with several experts expecting a rate hike after nearly three-and-a half years as inflation pressures rise due to the ongoing Iran War and Middle East conflict.
The announcement will outline the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)'s decision on interest rates and its assessment of inflation and economic growth. Here are details on when and where to watch RBI MPC Meeting.
RBI MPC Meeting October 2026: Date, Time
Reserve Bank Governor Sanjay Malhotra will announce the rate decision at 10 am on Wednesday after the conclusion of the three-day meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee. Malhotra will address the media at 12 noon on the same day.
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RBI MPC Meeting October 2026: Where To Watch Governor's Speech
Viewers can watch the RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra's policy announcement live on the official YouTube channel of RBI from 10 am on October 7. You can also catch live updates on NDTV Profit's website and YouTube channel. The governor's press conference will also be available on the official channel from 12 noon.
RBI MPC Meeting October 2026: MPC Members
- Governor Sanjay Malhotra
- Nagesh Kumar
- Saugata Bhattacharya
- Ram Singh
- Poonam Gupta
- Indranil Bhattacharya
RBI MPC Meeting October 2026: Stance as of last MPC Meet in August: Neutral (maintained)
- Remained Neutral To Respond Appropriately To Macro Developments
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RBI MPC Meeting October 2026: Will There Be A Change In Repo Rate
A hike in the short-term lending rate (repo) by the RBI in its upcoming monetary policy would mark a stance reversal, following four rate cuts totalling 125 basis points in 2025 and a prolonged pause thereafter.
The last repo rate hike was in February 2023, when the RBI raised the rate by 0.25% to 6.50%. It kept the rate unchanged through 2023-24 before beginning its rate-cut cycle in 2025. Currently, the RBI's policy repo rate stands at 5.25%
A majority of participants in a PTI poll expect a 25 bps rate hike with a hawkish tone at the upcoming policy review on Wednesday. The opinion seems divided on whether there will be a shift in stance. Most experts opined that while a rate increase was imminent, some were of the view that the central bank may not go for a rate hike immediately.
The government has mandated the central bank to ensure that consumer price index (CPI) based retail inflation is at 4 per cent with a margin of 2 per cent on either side. India's retail inflation accelerated to 4.82% in August from 4.45% in July.
(with inputs from PTI)
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