Archive · 5 Sep 2026
India’s Forex Reserves Reach $740.8 Billion Amid Conflicting Weekly Figures
India keeps foreign money, gold, and other assets as a financial safety cushion.
Reports say this cushion reached a new record level.
One report gives the total as $740.8 billion for the week ending August 28.
Another gives $729.328 billion for the week ending August 21.
These are figures for different weeks, although one headline incorrectly pairs the August 21 figure with $740.8 billion.
Foreign currency assets and gold both increased in the August 28 data.
The Reserve Bank of India used special forex swap measures to attract more foreign-exchange flows.
The reports disagree on how much money those measures brought in.
India’s foreign-exchange reserves reached a reported record $740.8 billion in the week ended August 28, rising about $11.47 billion.
A separate RBI-based report lists reserves at $729.328 billion for the week ended August 21, up $12.422 billion.
Foreign currency assets rose to $600.67 billion and gold reserves to $116.41 billion by August 28.
The RBI’s concessional forex swap measures attracted reported flows ranging from $72 billion to $136.3 billion, depending on the report.
Special drawing rights and India’s IMF reserve position declined in the August 28 report, while SDRs rose in the August 21 report.
- Who
- The Reserve Bank of India and the Indian government are identified as the institutions involved.
- What
- India’s foreign-exchange reserves reportedly reached a new high, with reports citing $740.8 billion for August 28 and $729.328 billion for August 21.
- When
- The figures cover the weeks ended August 28 and August 21, with the data reported on Friday.
- Where
- India.
- Why
- The increase was associated with higher foreign currency assets, gold reserves, and foreign-exchange flows attracted through RBI swap measures.
- August 28 reserves
- Reported at $740.8 billion, up approximately $11.47 billion during the week.
- August 21 reserves
- Reported at $729.328 billion, up $12.422 billion during the week.
- Previous record
- $728.494 billion for the week ended February 27.
- Foreign currency assets
- $600.67 billion on August 28, after rising $9.337 billion; $591.333 billion on August 21, after rising $9.482 billion.
- Gold reserves
- $116.41 billion on August 28 and $114.218 billion on August 21.
- Special drawing rights
- $18.81 billion on August 28, down $43 million; $18.852 billion on August 21, up $112 million.
- Forex swap flows
- Reports cite more than $132 billion, $136.3 billion cumulatively, or $72 billion under the concessional swap measures.
