a security guards reflection is seen next to the logo of the reserve bank of india rbi at the rbi headquarters in mumbai india june 6 2019 reutersfrancis mascarenhasfile photo mumbai dec 8 reuters  the reserve bank of indias monetary policy committee kept its key lending rate steady at record lows on wednesday with investors awaiting its outlook on inflation and what steps it will take to withdraw surplus cash from the banking system the committee held the lending rate or the repo rate inrepoeci at 4 the reverse repo rate inrrepeci or the key borrowing rate was also maintained at 335 all 50 economists polled by reuters had expected no change in the repo rate and they did not expect a change before the second half of 2022 read more a quarter of 41 respondents surveyed on the reverse repo rate had predicted an increase economists had priced in a small increase in the reverse repo rate  the rate at which the central bank borrows shortterm funds from banks  as the rbi tries to normalise the gap between lending and borrowing rates to precovid levels the central bank has slashed the repo rate by a total of 115 basis points bps since march 2020 to soften the blow from the coronavirus pandemic and tough containment measures this follows 135 bps worth of rate cuts since the beginning of 2019