rediff.com
News APP

NewsApp (Free)

Read news as it happens
Download NewsApp

Available on  gplay

Rediff.com  » Business » India prepared to deal with Fed tapering, says Chidambaram
This article was first published 10 years ago

India prepared to deal with Fed tapering, says Chidambaram

December 19, 2013 12:01 IST

Image: Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram speaks during a news conference in New York.
Photographs: Keith Bedford/Reuters Rajesh Kumar Singh in New Delhi

India is better prepared to deal with any consequences of the US Federal Reserve's move to reduce monetary stimulus, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said in a statement on Thursday, that has supported inflows of cash to emerging markets.

After agonising investors for months, the Fed decided on Wednesday to trim its bond buying by $10 billion to $75 billion a month as a modest step and one the US economy could well withstand.

. . .

India prepared to deal with Fed tapering, says Chidambaram

Image: A man rides his motorbike past parked Hyundai cars ready for shipment at a port in Chennai.
Photographs: Babu/Reuters

Crucially, the US central bank softened the blow by making its forward guidance even more dovish.

"(The) government is of the view that the markets had already factored in the US Federal Reserve's decision and therefore is not likely to be surprised by these moderate changes," Chidambaram said in a written statement released by his office.

Worries over the Fed's possible tapering had triggered massive capital outflows between

. . .

India prepared to deal with Fed tapering, says Chidambaram

Image: Vehicles drive past stores on a street in Mumbai.
Photographs: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters

Worries over the Fed's possible tapering had triggered massive capital outflows between May and September from emerging markets.

Saddled with hefty current account and fiscal deficits, India looked the most vulnerable.

The rupee went in a free fall, losing as much as 20 per cent against the dollar before recovering.

This prompted India to unleash a slew of measures to bolster its forex reserves and rein in the current account gap.

Chidambaram also spoke to Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan on Thursday morning to discuss the Fed tapering, the statement added.

 

Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.