RBI raised the repo rate by 0.25%: how much part-payment cancels the extra tenure?
On 7 October 2026 the RBI raised the repo rate by 0.25 percentage points, from 5.25% to 5.50%. If your home loan is repo-linked (EBLR), your lender passes it on at your next reset, which is at least every three months. Most lenders keep the EMI the same and let the tenure grow, so the first sign of the hike is usually a loan that ends later, not a bigger EMI.
The countdown below is real: on this site's 15th-of-the-month convention, every quarterly-reset loan has taken the hike by 15 December 2026. The part-payment figure shows what it would take to bring the loan back to its pre-hike end date.
How much part-payment cancels the extra tenure?
With your EMI unchanged
One part-payment that cancels it
Raise your EMI instead
| Part-payment | Remaining tenure after the hike | Against before the hike |
|---|
Or raise the EMI instead
A part-payment is not the only way to keep your end date. If you raise your EMI from the reset, the loan also ends when it would have before the hike. The calculator above shows both, worked out from your balance, rate and EMI alone. You choose one, not both. A part-payment cannot be taken back, because the money has gone into the loan. A higher EMI can usually be revised at a later reset, subject to your lender, so it keeps more of your cash flexible. If the RBI cuts the rate later, neither is wasted: the loan simply ends sooner, or you can ask your lender to lower the EMI.
Is there a deadline for part-payment?
No. A part-payment works the same on any day. Interest is charged on the outstanding balance, so each day the balance stays higher it carries a little more interest, but the reset date is when the new rate starts applying, not a cut-off for paying down. Since 1 January 2026, lenders cannot charge pre-payment charges on floating-rate loans to individuals for personal use. Check your sanction letter for your own loan.
Illustration: the calculator applies the new rate from today for the rest of the loan, with your EMI unchanged, and solves for the lump sum that returns the remaining tenure to its pre-hike length. Your lender's rounding, fees and exact reset date will move the figures. This page shows what a part-payment would do. It is not a suggestion to make one, and whether it suits you depends on your cash, other debts and plans.
What if I do nothing?
At a reset the lender must offer you a choice between a higher EMI, a longer tenure or a mix (RBI circular RBI/2023-24/55). If you do not reply, ask how it applies the change. See higher EMI or longer tenure and how to find your reset date.
Next RBI decisions: 4 December 2026 and 5 February 2027. See the policy calendar and repo rate history. About to buy rather than already borrowing? Read what the hike means for a new loan.
Questions
How many months does a 0.25% repo rate hike add to a home loan?
It depends on your balance, rate and EMI. On the calculator default (Rs 45 lakh balance, 8.15%, EMI Rs 42,290) a 0.25% rise adds about 6 months if the EMI stays the same. Enter your own figures above.
How much part-payment cancels the tenure increase?
On the same default loan, about Rs 70,000, roughly 1.5% of the balance, returns the remaining tenure to where it was before the hike. The figure scales with your balance and the length left on the loan.
When does the 0.25% hike reach my home loan?
At your next reset. A repo-linked loan resets at least every three months, so on the 15th-of-the-month convention used here every quarterly-reset loan has taken the hike by 15 December 2026. An MCLR loan waits for its own, usually annual, reset.
Is there another way to cancel the tenure increase besides a part-payment?
Yes. Raise your EMI from the reset. On the same default loan that is about Rs 660 a month more, and the loan still ends on its pre-hike date. A part-payment is paid once and cannot be taken back; a higher EMI can usually be revised later, subject to your lender. You choose one, not both.