Leading banks are likely to cut interest rates by 50-100 basis points in days to come, a move that can help to generate demand and propel economic growth in the country.
External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, holding Finance portfolio due to bypass surgery of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, is meeting top executives of banks on Monday to discuss the matter. He can ask banks to cut lending rates on home, retail and auto loans to revive demand in the economic system. Banks may revise prime lending rates (PLR) or the benchmark interest rate by 50-100 basis points besides some concessions for SMEs and infrastructure firms.