India’s forex reserves touch record high of $729.33 billion, rise $12.42 billion
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "India’s forex reserves touch record high of $729.33 billion, rise $12.42 billion")
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India's foreign exchange reserves surged by $12.42 billion to a record $729.33 billion in the week ended August 21, driven mainly by higher foreign currency assets and gold reserves.
India's foreign exchange reserves rose sharply by $12.42 billion in the week ended August 21, taking the total reserves to $729.33 billion, according to the latest data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
The rise was mainly driven by an increase in foreign currency assets, while gold reserves also posted a strong weekly gain.
The $12.42 billion weekly increase came primarily from sustained foreign currency inflows. These followed the RBI's measures in June to attract overseas deposits and foreign currency borrowings. The central bank accumulated part of these inflows in its reserves.
In rupee terms, India's total foreign exchange reserves stood at Rs 69.81 lakh crore as of August 21.
The reserves have increased by $38.22 billion from the end of March 2026 and by $38.61 billion over the past year. This shows a sustained improvement in India's external reserve position.
Foreign currency assets (FCAs), the largest component of India's foreign exchange reserves, increased by $9.48 billion during the week to $591.33 billion.
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On a year-on-year basis, FCAs were higher by $9.08 billion. In rupee terms, FCAs rose by Rs 1.08 lakh crore during the week to Rs 56.60 lakh crore.
Gold reserves also contributed significantly to the weekly increase. The value of gold held as part of India's reserves rose by $2.80 billion to $114.22 billion during the week.
Reserves cross previous record
India's previous record forex reserve level of $728.494 billion was reached in the week ended February 27. Geopolitical tensions that followed led to several weeks of decline in reserves as the rupee came under pressure and the RBI intervened in the forex market through dollar sales.
The latest increase has pushed India's reserve buffer further above the end-March level, with gains recorded across foreign currency assets, gold, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) and the IMF reserve position.
RBI data also showed that foreign currency assets rose by Rs 1.08 lakh crore, while gold holdings increased by Rs 30,022 crore during the week ended August 21.
