‘Ahead of the curve’: RBI introduces podcast for effective public information sharing – Times of India

The Reserve Bank of India has decided to launch podcasts to improve communication and effectively share information of public interest. This podcast continues the many initiatives the apex bank took over the past years to expand its communication toolkit to enhance transparency and facilitate better connections with people.
Shaktikanta Das, the RBI governor on Friday said, “I think podcast as an instrument of communication has become popular, particularly among the youngsters. So we at the RBI though this was the requirement of the time. Also, I think we should be ahead of the curve. It’s basically a communication tool to communicate with the wider section of the people.”
He also added that podcasts will help to elaborate things simply among the wider section of the society.
In recent years, the RBI, as the central bank, has expanded its public awareness initiatives, incorporating both traditional and modern communication methods. This approach forms a key part of its strategy to enhance transparency, clarify the rationale behind its decisions, and spread awareness messages to a broader audience.
In a separate decision during the review meeting, the RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee also opted to maintain the repo rate at 6.5 percent for the 11th consecutive time, continuing its neutral monetary policy stance.
The RBI has lowered its GDP growth forecast for 2024-25 to 6.6 percent, down from the earlier projection of 7.2 percent. Additionally, the RBI Governor announced a 50 basis point reduction in the CRR, from 4.5 percent to 4 percent, which is expected to inject Rs 1.15 lakh crore of liquidity into the banking system.
Additionally, the retail inflation projection for 2024-25 has been hiked from 4.5 per cent to 4.8 per cent.