Foreign Exchange Reserves
Latest reading: 780.782 $ billion for Week ended 11 Sep 2026 (-$4.92 billion WoW).
Foreign Exchange Reserves
Total RBI-held foreign currency assets, gold, SDRs and IMF reserve position. The buffer available to absorb external shocks and smooth rupee volatility.
What it means
Total RBI-held foreign currency assets, gold, SDRs and IMF reserve position. The buffer available to absorb external shocks and smooth rupee volatility.
Small decline from the all-time high of $785.706 bn (week ended 4 Sep), which itself was a record $44.9 bn weekly jump. FCA fell $2.372 bn to $645.796 bn. RBI WSS viewer is JS-gated and could not be read directly; figures cross-checked against CNBC-TV18, ET BFSI and Trading Economics reporting of the same RBI release.
Release details
- Category
- EXTERNAL
- Frequency
- WEEKLY
- Previous
- 785.706
- Benchmark
- Adequate import cover >10 months
- Released
- 2026-09-18
- Next release
- Expected: 2026-09-25
- Source
- RBI — Weekly Statistical Supplement
Key questions about Foreign Exchange Reserves
What are India's foreign exchange reserves made up of?
The RBI's reserves comprise four components: foreign currency assets (the largest share, held mostly in US Treasuries and deposits with other central banks), gold reserves, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) with the IMF, and India's reserve tranche position at the IMF.
Why do forex reserves matter for the rupee?
Reserves are the RBI's buffer for defending the rupee during capital outflows and for covering import bills. A common benchmark is import cover — how many months of imports the reserves can fund. Adequate reserves let the RBI smooth exchange rate volatility without being forced into sharp rate hikes.
How often are India's forex reserves updated?
The RBI publishes reserve data every Friday at 5:00 PM IST in its Weekly Statistical Supplement, covering the week ended the previous Friday. Weekly changes can reflect valuation effects from currency and gold price movements as well as actual RBI intervention.
What is the current Foreign Exchange Reserves?
Foreign Exchange Reserves stands at 780.782 $ billion for Week ended 11 Sep 2026, against 785.706 $ billion previously (-$4.92 billion WoW). Total RBI-held foreign currency assets, gold, SDRs and IMF reserve position. The buffer available to absorb external shocks and smooth rupee volatility.
Who publishes the Foreign Exchange Reserves data?
Foreign Exchange Reserves is published by RBI — Weekly Statistical Supplement on a weekly basis. Release window: Every Friday (RBI Weekly Statistical Supplement). The next update is expected on Expected: 2026-09-25.
What is a healthy level for Foreign Exchange Reserves?
The reference benchmark used on MacroNest is: Adequate import cover >10 months. The latest reading of 780.782 $ billion is currently assessed as "Near record high, ample buffer".
Why does Foreign Exchange Reserves matter?
External sector indicators shape the rupee's trajectory and India's resilience to global capital flow shocks. Total RBI-held foreign currency assets, gold, SDRs and IMF reserve position. The buffer available to absorb external shocks and smooth rupee volatility.