New Delhi, [India] August 28 (ANI): India's foreign exchange reserves rose sharply by USD 12.42 billion in the week ended August 21, reaching USD 729.33 billion, according to the latest data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The surge was driven primarily by a rise in foreign currency assets, while the country's gold reserves also recorded a strong weekly gain.

The USD 12.42-billion weekly increase was primarily driven by sustained foreign-currency inflows following the RBI's June measures to attract overseas deposits and foreign-currency borrowings, with the central bank accumulating part of those inflows in its reserves.

In rupee terms, the country's total foreign exchange reserves stood at Rs 69.81 lakh crore as of August 21. The reserves have increased by USD 38.22 billion from end-March 2026 and by USD 38.61 billion over the year, highlighting a sustained improvement in India's external reserve position.

Foreign currency assets (FCAs), the largest component of India's reserves, increased by USD 9.48 billion during the week to USD 591.33 billion. On a year-on-year basis, FCAs were higher by USD 9.08 billion. In rupee terms, FCAs rose by Rs 1.08 lakh crore over 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 the reserves climbed by USD 2.80 billion to USD 114.22 billion during the week. Gold reserves have risen by USD 29.22 billion compared with a year earlier, underscoring the increasing contribution of gold to the overall reserve stock.

The remaining components also recorded smaller increases. India's Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) with the IMF rose by USD 112 million to USD 18.85 billion, while the country's reserve position in the IMF increased by USD 26 million to USD 4.93 billion during the week.

The latest increase takes the reserve buffer further above the end-March level, with the rise spread across foreign currency assets, gold, SDRs and the IMF reserve position. The RBI data also showed that its own foreign currency assets rose Rs 1.08 lakh crore and gold holdings increased Rs 30,022 crore during the week ended August 21.

With total reserves at USD 729.33 billion, India's external reserve position remains substantially higher than at the end of FY26, providing a sizeable foreign exchange buffer. (ANI)