Q4 current account deficit at 8.1 billion on lower receipts

Q4 current account deficit at 8.1 billion on lower receipts

Subject : Economics

Context : India’s current account balance recorded a deficit of $8.1 billion (1% of Gross Domestic Product – GDP) in the quarter ended March 2021 (Q4FY21) on the back of a higher trade deficit and lower net invisible receipts, the Reserve Bank of India said in a release on Wednesday.

Concept :

Current Account Deficit

• The current account measures the flow of goods, services, and investments into and out of the country. It represents a country’s foreign transactions and, like the capital account, is a component of a country’s Balance of Payments (BOP).
• There is a deficit in Current Account if the value of the goods and services imported exceeds the value of those exported.
• A nation’s current account maintains a record of the country’s transactions with other nations, that includes net income, including interest and dividends, and transfers, like foreign aid. It comprises of following components:

Trade of goods,

Services, and

Net earnings on overseas investments and net transfer of payments over a period of time, such as remittances.

• It is measured as a percentage of GDP. The formulae for calculating CAD is:
• Current Account = Trade gap + Net current transfers + Net income abroad
• Trade gap = Exports – Imports
• A country with rising CAD shows that it has become uncompetitive, and investors may not be willing to invest there.
• In India, the Current Account Deficit could be reduced by boosting exports and curbing non-essential imports such as gold, mobiles, and electronics.
• Current Account Deficit and Fiscal Deficit (also known as “budget deficit” is a situation when a nation’s expenditure exceeds its revenues) are together known as twin deficits and both often reinforce each other, i.e., a high fiscal deficit leads to higher CAD and vice versa.