Reserve Bank of India Reports Seven Hundred Billion Dollar Foreign Exchange Reserves in Weekly Supplement
Why it matters
According to the Reserve Bank of India's bulletin extract dated April 24, 2026, India's external sector stability remains robust with total reserves standing at US$ 703,308 Million. The Foreign Currency Assets (FCA), which form the largest component of these reserves, reached US$ 557,463 Million, representing a weekly increase of US$ 1,481 Million. Gold reserves experienced a substantial year-on-year surge, reaching a valuation of US$ 122,133 Million, up from US$ 37,561 Million in the previous year. This growth reflects the central bank's strategic diversification of assets amid global economic volatility.
Administratively, this statistical release is the first to fully integrate the changes mandated by the Banking Laws (Amendment) Act, 2025. Effective December 15, 2025, the definition of a 'fortnight' for banking reporting has been changed from alternate Fridays to the 15th and last calendar day of each month. This shift aims to align banking data more closely with standard accounting cycles. The report also indicates that Scheduled Commercial Banks saw aggregate deposits reach ₹256,48,470 crore as of April 15, 2026, though demand deposits showed a significant fortnight-on-fortnight contraction of 12.3%.
| Reserve Component | Value (US$ Million) | Weekly Variation |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign Currency Assets | 557,463 | +1,481 |
| Gold Reserves | 122,133 | +790 |
| Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) | 18,841 | +78 |
| Reserve Position in IMF | 4,870 | +14 |
| Total Reserves | 703,308 | +2,362 |
Glossary
Foreign Currency Assets (FCA): The non-gold portion of foreign exchange reserves, including holdings in US Dollars, Euros, and other major currencies, adjusted for valuation changes.
Banking Laws (Amendment) Act 2025: Recent legislation that restructured the reporting periods for banks from alternate Fridays to the 15th and month-end.