NEW DELHI (AP) — India’s central bank has lowered its key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 6.25 percent, a step that is expected to boost the economy.
The interest rate is what the federal bank charges on lending to commercial banks. Lower interest rates help borrowers but can also spur inflation. The Reserve Bank of India judged the consumer inflation rate, at 2.2 percent in December, safe for loosening monetary policy.
In a bi-monthly review of the economy released Thursday, the central bank forecast India’s economy will expand at a 7.4 percent pace in 2019-20, up from 7.2 percent in this fiscal year. India’s financial year runs from April to March.
The central bank said growth was mostly supported by government spending on infrastructure but investment activity was recovering.
