RBI’s Gold Reserves Cross $100 Billion For First Time, India’s Forex Kitty At $698 Billion | Economy News

Gold’s share in India’s foreign exchange reserves has almost doubled over the past decade — from below 7% to nearly 15%.

The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) gold reserves have crossed the $100-billion mark for the first time, even as the country’s overall foreign exchange reserves hit $697.784 billion during the week ended October 10, according to the latest RBI data.

The value of gold holdings jumped by $3.595 billion to $102.365 billion, reflecting a significant rise in the central bank’s gold assets. It comes even as the gold prices globally are at an all-time high of over $4,300 an ounce.

The share of gold in India’s total reserves climbed to 14.7%, the highest since 1996-97, according to Reuters citing traders. Gold’s share in India’s foreign exchange reserves has almost doubled over the past decade — from below 7% to nearly 15% — reflecting both steady central bank accumulation and a surge in global bullion prices.

That has led to the $100 billion milestone being hit despite a marked slowdown in the RBI’s gold purchases this year.

The central bank bought gold in only four of the first nine months of 2025, compared with near-monthly additions in 2024, according to World Gold Council data. Cumulative buying from January to September stood at just 4 tonnes, sharply lower than 50 tonnes in the same period a year earlier.

In the international market, spot gold prices surpassed $4,300 per ounce for the first time on Thursday, gaining 7.6% this week amid renewed US-China trade tensions and expectations of a US rate cut.

India’s Overall Forex Reserves

However, the overall forex reserves fell by $2.176 billion to $697.784 billion in the week ended October 10, the data revealed. In the previous reporting week, the reserves had dropped by $276 million to $699.96 billion.

Among the components, foreign currency assets (FCAs), the largest share of India’s forex reserves, fell by $5.605 billion to $572.103 billion. Expressed in dollar terms, FCAs include the impact of appreciation or depreciation of non-US currencies such as the euro, pound, and yen held in the reserves.

The Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) were down by $130 million to $18.684 billion, while India’s reserve position with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) slipped by $36 million to $4.632 billion, according to the data.

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

In 2024, the reserves rose by a little over $20 billion. So far in 2025, the forex kitty has cumulatively increased by about $47.8 billion, according to data.

Foreign exchange 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.

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