Fisher’s Effect: An Empirical Examination Using India’s Time Series Data

The study examines the Fisher’s hypothesis using India’s macroeconomic data with main objective of ascertaining the empirical relationship between nominal interest rate and expected inflation. The study collected monthly time series data on interest rate (lending rate) and CPI growth rate (inflation) from Reserve Bank of India’s database spanning from 1990M01 to 2015M03. To achieve the objective, the study first examined the univariate stochastic properties of the series using test that assumed the presence of structural: Zivot and Andrews (J Bus Econ Stat 10(3):251–270, 1992) and Perron (J Econ 80:355–385, 1997) on one hand and those that assumed no break: Elliot et al. (Econometrica 64:813–836, 1996) and Kwiatkowski et al. (J Econom 54:159–178, 1992) on the other hand. The result for the univariate stochastic properties revealed that inflation is level stationary whereas lending rate is differenced stationary. This finding is consistent with the two tests considered as mentioned above. To examined the Fisher’s effect, given the result of the univariate stochastic properties, the study checked the multivariate counterpart using test that assumed break; Gregory and Hensen (J Econom 70:99–126, 1996) and the one that assumed no break; Pesaran et al. (J Appl Econom 16:289–326, 2001). The result reveals the absence of long run equilibrium between nominal interest rate and inflation for the full and sub-samples which is against Fisher’s proposition. This finding can be attributed to the following reasons: firstly, the conduct of monetary policy by RBI is passive; that is, the policy rate response less than proportionate to change in inflation. Secondly, the presence of distortion in the interest rate pass-through channel makes the sign, speed and magnitude of monetary policy uncertain and finally, the dominant of informal financial sector in India that makes short term policy rate ineffective monetary policy instrument. Therefore the study concludes that the conduct of monetary policy is responsible for the rejection of Fisher’s hypothesis in India.