India's forex reserves surge to record USD 723.774 bn on gold jump

India's forex reserves hit a new all-time high of USD 723.774 billion for the week ending Jan 30, up by USD 14.361 billion. The surge was led by a sharp rise in gold reserves, even as foreign currency assets saw a slight decline.

India's foreign exchange reserves reached another new all-time high in the week ended January 30, according to the Reserve Bank of India's latest data. Foreign exchange reserves rose sharply by USD 14.361 billion in the week to USD 723.774 billion, driven by a jump in gold reserves while foreign currency assets dropped.

Over the past few weeks, the forex kitty has been largely in an uptrend. Its previous high was USD 709.403 billion, touched in the previous week.

Component-wise Breakdown

For the reported week (that ended January 30), India's foreign currency assets (FCA), the largest component of foreign exchange reserves, stood at USD 562.392 billion, down USD 493 million.

The RBI data showed that gold reserves currently stand at USD 137.683 billion, up USD 14.595 billion from the previous week.

RBI's Assessment and Outlook

After the latest monetary policy review meeting in early December, the RBI had said that the country's foreign exchange reserves were sufficient to cover more than 11 months of merchandise imports. Overall, India's external sector remains resilient, and the RBI is confident it can comfortably meet external financing requirements.

Historical Forex Trends

In 2025, the forex kitty has increased by about 56 billion, according to data.

In 2024, reserves rose by just over USD 20 billion.

In 2023, India added around USD 58 billion to its foreign exchange reserves, contrasting with a cumulative decline of USD 71 billion in 2022.

Understanding Forex Reserves and RBI's Role

What are Foreign Exchange Reserves?

Foreign exchange reserves, or forex reserves, are assets held by a nation's central bank or monetary authority, primarily in reserve currencies such as the US dollar, with smaller portions in the Euro, Japanese yen, and Pound Sterling.

RBI's Intervention Strategy

The RBI often intervenes by managing liquidity, including selling dollars, to prevent a steep depreciation of the rupee. The RBI strategically buys dollars when the Rupee is strong and ideally sells when it weakens. (ANI)

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