New Delhi, Oct. 5 -- The Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) begins its 3-day meeting on Monday amid growing expectations of the first interest rate hike since 2023.

The RBI has kept the repo rate unchanged at 5.25 per cent for four consecutive policy meetings after cutting rates by a cumulative 125 basis points in 2025. However, mounting inflationary risks and elevated crude oil prices have strengthened expectations that the central bank could shift towards monetary tightening.

In the commodity market, Brent crude was trading at around USD 101.26 per barrel while crude oil was trading at around USD 89.98 per barrel, at the time of reporting.

The policy decision is due on Wednesday, October 7. The market large...