BUSINESS · MARKETS & MACRO

Borrowed Calm: Why India’s Markets Feel Stable — and What Could Break It

Markets look steady. Bond yields are softer. Currency panic has cooled. Commentary sounds confident. But calm isn’t magic — it’s engineered. And engineered stability has inputs, limits and breaking points.
By bataSutra Editorial · December 26th 2025

The short

  • Yes, things are calmer: liquidity support, measured communication and active currency management helped.
  • This isn’t accidental: stability has been built, curated and defended through policy actions.
  • But it isn’t permanent: global shocks, oil, rate shifts and capital flows can reopen stress quickly.
  • Opportunity: this is a window for businesses to repair risk systems — not relax.
  • Rule: treat calm like a resource to invest, not a mood to enjoy.

The phase we’re in — engineered steadiness

Stability didn’t “arrive”. It was created. Bond markets softened because liquidity strengthened. Currency nerves cooled because intervention stepped in. Narratives improved because confidence was communicated carefully, not loudly.

Markets respond to systems, not speeches. Right now India benefits from:

  • credible policy discipline,
  • ample reserves,
  • domestic investor depth,
  • and a central bank willing to act before panic becomes structural.

This combination doesn’t eliminate volatility — it delays and absorbs it. That distinction matters.

How stability actually gets built

Stability looks emotional to headlines. It isn’t. It’s operational.

Mechanism What it did Impact
Liquidity support Kept funding stress under control Bond yields ease
FX discipline Capped dangerous expectation spirals Reduced panic hedging
Communication Removed surprise risk Markets priced calmer paths
Domestic investor strength Absorbed flows & weakness Stability under pressure

None of this is glamorous. All of it matters.

What could still break this calm

Three forces sit above every emerging market:

  • Global rates: a surprise in advanced economies instantly tightens global money.
  • Oil or commodity spikes: cascades into deficits, inflation pressures and policy dilemmas.
  • Flow reversals: portfolio exits can stress systems even when fundamentals are sound.

Calm is a living state. It is earned repeatedly, not won once.

The real opportunity hidden in this moment

For businesses

Hedge sensibly. Spread exposure. Stress-test assumptions. Use predictability to plan — not to gamble on outcomes staying perfect.

For policy makers

Preserve credibility. Avoid theatrics. Build buffers like it’s still raining, not like the sun is out.

The takeaway

What India has today isn’t luck. It is competence.

The smartest response isn’t celebration — it is preparation. Borrowed calm is still calm. Use it to strengthen the house. Because when the next weather system arrives, fragility will punish those who assumed peace was permanent.