Citi abandons day-old buy call in 'perfect storm' for India debt

Indian bonds are set for a torrid year, with supply rising to record levels while demand wanes.

Citigroup Inc. offered a glimpse of the conditions facing the nation’s debt when it withdrew a buy call within a day of recommending purchases. Yields surged the most in almost two years Tuesday after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled a bigger-than-anticipated borrowing plan without signaling who could buy the paper.

Citi and other investors had been betting that Sitharaman would unveil a path toward inclusion of Indian debt in global indexes, which would bring foreign inflows. When that didn’t materialize, traders were confronted with