Inflation is a common economic phenomenon that affects the purchasing power of money and the overall health of an economy. It refers to the sustained increase in the general level of prices of goods and services over time. When inflation is high, your money can buy fewer things than before. This can have negative effects on various aspects of the economy, such as consumption, savings, investment, business costs, profitability, and government policies.
In this blog, you will learn what causes inflation in India, how it impacts different sectors and stakeholders, how the government tries to control it, and what the future outlook is. By understanding the implications of inflation in the Indian context, you can gain insights into how it affects different aspects of the economy and what potential strategies can be adopted to manage its effects. Let’s get started!
Causes of Inflation in India
To understand the causes of inflation, one needs to understand the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
CPI is a measure of inflation that shows how the prices of things that people buy for their daily use change over time. It includes food, clothing, housing, education, health, transport, and other services.
Let’s take a closer look at major components and understand how it affects inflation:
Food prices
It plays a significant role in driving inflation in India, as food constitutes a substantial portion of CPI.
Factors that affect food prices.
- Changes in weather conditions
- Supply disruptions
- Transportation costs
For instance, adverse weather conditions, such as droughts or floods, can disrupt crop production, leading to reduced supply and higher prices for food items. Similarly, transportation costs, including fuel prices and logistics, can impact the cost of transporting food items, which can affect their prices in the market.
Fuel Prices
Fuel is a small part of CPI constituting 6% of the index, but it can affect the prices of many other categories.
For example, when fuel prices go up, it costs more to transport goods and services. This can make food items, consumer goods, and other things more expensive. This can increase CPI and inflation indirectly.
Catch up on the latest decision by OPEC+ on oil output cuts by clicking here.
Impact of Inflation in India
Impact on Consumers
Inflation can have a direct impact on consumers as it erodes their purchasing power. When the prices of goods and services rise, consumers may experience a decrease in their standard of living as they need to spend more on essential items.
Impact on Businesses
Inflation can have varying impacts on producers and businesses. On the positive side, a moderate and stable inflation rate can benefit businesses by allowing them to command higher prices for their products or services, resulting in increased revenues and profits. However, when inflation rises beyond a certain threshold, businesses may face challenges due to higher production costs, which can squeeze profit margins. Moreover, higher inflation often results in higher interest rates which in turn raises the cost of borrowing for corporates.
Inflation can impact various sectors of business differently. It can increase production costs for manufacturing and production, affect consumer demand for goods and services, raise costs in real estate and construction, impact agriculture and food prices, and affect interest rates and investment returns in financial services. Businesses need to monitor and manage inflationary pressures to make informed decisions.
Impact on Investors
Inflation can have implications for investors as it can impact the returns on investments. Inflation can impact stock performances as companies experience a decrease in profit margin. Investors may encounter challenges due to inflation as higher inflation can erode the real returns of their investments. As the purchasing power of money decreases with inflation, the actual returns on investments may diminish, potentially impacting their overall investment performance.
Click here to know more about tools to beat inflation.
Measures to control inflation in India
Monetary Policy
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), as the central bank of the country, plays a crucial role in formulating and implementing monetary policy to manage inflation.
There are two scenarios:
- In a scenario where there are significant inflationary pressures in the economy, The RBI can increase the repo rate. When the RBI does this, it reduces the liquidity available in the financial system, making borrowing more expensive for businesses and consumers. As a result, it becomes more costly to borrow and spend, which can lower the demand for goods and services, ultimately curbing inflationary pressures.
- In a scenario where there is a slowdown in economic growth and low inflation, The RBI reduces the repo rate. When the RBI does this, It makes borrowing cheaper for consumers and businesses, resulting in more spending.
Fiscal Policy
In a scenario where there are rising inflationary pressures in the economy, the government can increase taxes on certain goods or reduces subsidies to curb demand.
On the other hand, when there is an economic slowdown, the government can reduce taxes and increase subsidies to promote more spending.
Conclusion
While inflation is generally considered detrimental to the economy, it’s important to note that a moderate level of inflation can actually have positive effects. It can act as an incentive for companies to invest in production and expansion, which in turn can contribute to GDP growth.
Additionally, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has set a target inflation rate of 2 – 6% as acceptable for the Indian economy. This indicates that the RBI recognizes the need for some level of inflation to support economic growth.
By maintaining a manageable level of inflation, the Indian economy can benefit from the positive aspects of inflation while minimizing its negative impacts.
