Urban consumer confidence deteriorated, says RBI

The Reserve Bank of India has released the results of March 2026 round of its bi-monthly urban consumer confidence survey (UCCS). The survey was conducted during February 25 to March 10, 2026, covering 6069 respondents across 19 major cities. Consumer confidence for the current period deteriorated in the pessimistic zone with the Current Situation Index (CSI) at 95.7 against 98.1 in the previous round. Confidence for the year ahead, though optimistic, also saw a decline from the previous round. The Future Expectations Index (FEI) dropped by 3.2 points to 120.2. Households' current perception on economic situation ebbed for the second consecutive round, registering a decrease of 5.1 points from the previous round. The outlook also declined by 6.2 points, though remained in the optimistic zone. The current perception and year-ahead expectation of households on employment situation have worsened by 2.8 and 7.8 points, respectively.