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Monetary policy in India: The Long road to inflation targeting

Author

Listed:
  • Rajeswari Sengupta

    (Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research
    Institute of Economic Growth)

Abstract

This paper traces the evolution of monetary policy in India and the institutional, intellectual, and macroeconomic forces that culminated in the adoption of flexible inflation targeting (FIT) in 2015. It documents the transition from a regime of fiscal dominance and quantitative controls to a market-based, interest rate-driven framework, highlighting key reforms in financial markets, liquidity management, and central bank autonomy. The paper shows how persistent inflation in the post-Global Financial Crisis period exposed the limitations of the Multiple Indicator Approach and created the conditions for a shift toward a rule-based framework with a clear nominal anchor. It also evaluates the post-FIT experience, noting improvements in inflation outcomes, expectations anchoring, and policy transparency, while emphasizing continuing constraints from fiscal dominance, and exchange rate management.

Suggested Citation

  • Rajeswari Sengupta, 2026. "Monetary policy in India: The Long road to inflation targeting," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2026-005, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.
    • Handle: RePEc:ind:igiwpp:2026-005
    as

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    File URL: http://www.igidr.ac.in/pdf/publication/WP-2026-005.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Patnaik, Ila & Sengupta, Rajeshwari, 2022. "Analyzing India's Exchange Rate Regime," Revista Pistas Educativas, Instituto Tecnológico de Celaya, Departamento de Desarrollo Académico, Instituto Tecnológico de Celaya, Departamento de Desarrollo Académico, vol. 18(1), pages 53-85.
    2. Aeimit Lakdawala & Bhanu Pratap & Rajeswari Sengupta, 2023. "Impact of RBI’s monetary policy announcements on government bond yields: evidence from the pandemic," Indian Economic Review, Springer, vol. 58(2), pages 261-291, September.
    3. Rajeswari Sengupta & Abhijit Sen Gupta, 2019. "Alternate instruments to manage the capital flow conundrum: A study of selected Asian economies," Pacific Economic Review, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(2), pages 241-268, May.
    4. Patnaik, Ila & Sengupta, Rajeshwari, 2022. "Analyzing India's Exchange Rate Regime," India Policy Forum, National Council of Applied Economic Research, vol. 18(1), pages 53-85.
    5. Radhika Pandey & Ila Patnaik & Rajeswari Sengupta, 2024. "The journey of inflation targeting in India," Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai Working Papers 2024-022, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research, Mumbai, India.
    6. Amaresh Samantaraya, 2023. "Conduct of Monetary Policy in India: The Journey so Far and Contemporary Challenges," India Studies in Business and Economics, in: D. K. Srivastava & K. R. Shanmugam (ed.), India’s Contemporary Macroeconomic Themes, chapter 0, pages 315-341, Springer.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • E52 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Monetary Policy
    • E58 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Monetary Policy, Central Banking, and the Supply of Money and Credit - - - Central Banks and Their Policies
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • E42 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Money and Interest Rates - - - Monetary Systems; Standards; Regimes; Government and the Monetary System
    • E61 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomic Policy, Macroeconomic Aspects of Public Finance, and General Outlook - - - Policy Objectives; Policy Designs and Consistency; Policy Coordination

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