The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) injects ₹72,300 crore of short-term liquidity into the banking system through two Variable Rate Repo (VRR) auctions as surplus liquidity narrows and money market rates remain tight. According to reports, overnight rates in recent days trade above the RBI’s repo rate, reflecting strain in liquidity conditions. The RBI’s intervention is aimed at ensuring banks have sufficient funds for short-term needs and keeping borrowing costs stable.
One report says the RBI conducts two-day VRR auctions, providing ₹50,016 crore in the first operation at a cut-off rate of 5.26%. It also injects ₹22,284 crore through a second two-day VRR auction. Together, the auctions add ₹72,300 crore of temporary liquidity.
Reports attribute the sharper fall in surplus liquidity over the previous day to advance tax outflows, which temporarily move funds away from the banking system. RBI data cited in one source shows surplus liquidity dropping from about ₹1.51 lakh crore on June 15 to around ₹23,881 crore on June 16. Market rates cited include a weighted average call money rate above the repo rate, indicating continued liquidity tightness.