RBI flags Omicron threat to growth; says banks strong enough to face challenges

RBI said that the economy has steadily gained momentum and remained resilient since the second quarter of the current fiscal. 

New Delhi: Though the economy has steadily gained momentum and remained resilient since the second quarter of the current fiscal, the Omicron variant of coronavirus remains the major challenge along with rising inflation pressures, says the Reserve Bank in its second financial stability report.

In the foreword to the report released on Wednesday, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das notes that after the destructive second wave in April-May 2021, the growth outlook has progressively improved, though there are headwinds from global developments and more recently from the Omicron virus.   A stronger and sustainable recovery hinges on the revival of private investment and shoring up private consumption, which unfortunately still remain below their pre-pandemic levels, he notes.

Admitting that inflation remains a concern as it is by the build-up of cost-push pressures, Das has called for stronger supply-side measures to contain food and energy prices.