Pranjul Bhandari, Chief India Economist at HSBC, expects the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to deliver a rate cut in December, noting that the central bank’s inflation-targeting mandate outweighs concerns about strong near-term growth.

She added that early 2026 may bring growth uncertainties, giving the RBI room for another rate cut after December.

These are edited excerpts of the interview.

Q: Let me start with the GDP numbers. Our poll is only halfway through, but it is giving a very clear indication that we may get a number above 7% for the July, August, and September quarter. Where do you stand?

A: Yes, absolutely. I think September is going to be a number that is going to be close to 7.5%. December, too, we could be in the 7% plus range. So we're talking about pretty strong growth

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