India's forex reserves continue upward trend, reach $700B
What's the story
India's foreign exchange reserves have witnessed a significant increase of $3.29 billion, bringing the total to an impressive $696.61 billion as of December 26, 2025. This marks the second consecutive week of growth for the country's forex holdings, following a major surge of $4.36 billion in the previous week. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI)'s data indicates a strong upward trend in these reserves during this period.
Reserve composition
Breakdown of India's forex reserves
The latest data from the RBI shows that foreign currency assets (FCAs), which make up the bulk of India's forex reserves, rose by $184 million to $559.61 billion. Gold reserves also saw a major increase, going up by $2.96 billion to $113.32 billion during this period. The value of gold has been on a sharp rise in recent months amid global uncertainties and strong investment demand.
SDR increase
Special Drawing Rights and IMF reserve position
India's Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) also saw an increase of $60 million, taking the total to $18.803 billion. The country's reserve position in the IMF rose by $93 million to $4.875 billion during this period. These figures highlight India's strong standing in international financial markets and its ability to meet external financing requirements comfortably.