An article in the ‘State of the Economy’ section highlights the growing fragility of the global economic landscape due to a plateauing descent of inflation, which poses renewed risks to global financial stability. Released on Tuesday, the May Bulletin of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) underscores India’s potential for a significant economic upswing, attributed to burgeoning aggregate demand and increased non-food expenditures in rural areas.
Prepared under the leadership of Reserve Bank Deputy Governor Michael Debabrata Patra, the article points out the volatility in capital flows as apprehensive investors adopt a risk-averse stance. Furthermore, it sheds light on the optimistic sentiment regarding India’s economic trajectory, supported by recent indicators signaling a hastened pace of aggregate demand expansion.
Notably, rural demand for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) has surpassed that of urban markets for the first time in at least two years. FMCG volume growth, particularly in the home and personal care segments, soared by 6.5 percent, predominantly driven by a robust 7.6 percent growth in rural areas compared to 5.7 percent in urban centers.
In the realm of private investment, retained earnings remained a primary source of funds for listed private manufacturing companies during the latter half of 2023-24. Moreover, the financial results disclosed by listed corporations suggest that the final quarter of 2023-24 witnessed the most substantial growth in quarterly revenues, both year-on-year and sequentially.
Commenting on inflation trends, the authors noted a modest easing in headline inflation for April 2024, affirming an anticipated uneven trajectory towards alignment with the target.
However, they cautioned that prices of certain food items such as vegetables, cereals, pulses, meat, and fish could sustain elevated levels, potentially holding the headline inflation closer to 5 percent in the near term, aligning with projections outlined in the April Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) resolution.
This outlook persists despite deflationary pressures on fuel prices and a continued softening of core inflation, reaching historic lows.
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