India is well prepared to face any interest rate hike by the US as part of the latter's normalisation plans, the visiting IMF chief, Christine Lagarde, has said.

"India is well prepared and fundamentally strong (to cope with the normalisation)," Lagarde said replying to a question on the likely effect of any US interest rate hike on India.

She, however, made it clear that it was for the US Federal Reserve Chairperson Janet Yellen to take a "final call" on the timing of the interest rate hike.

"It is not my call (as to when and how US should normalise. In case I am required to tell Janet, I will tell her you do what you have to do," she said, adding that US will base its action on its own research and data.

Srivats.kr@thehindu.co.in

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