Official figures for 28 August record an $11.475-billion weekly rise, led by foreign-currency assets and gold
India’s foreign-exchange reserves stood at $740.803 billion on 28 August 2026, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s Weekly Statistical Supplement published on 4 September.
The total increased $11.475 billion in one week. Foreign-currency assets added $9.337 billion, while the reported value of gold reserves rose $2.191 billion. Special Drawing Rights declined $43 million, and India’s reserve position in the International Monetary Fund fell $11 million.
This is a stock statement for a completed date. It does not reveal how much of the movement came from purchases, valuation changes, gold prices or other transactions. The entire gain cannot therefore be described as RBI dollar buying.
India reserves trend table
| Component | 28 August 2026 | Weekly change | Since end-March | Year-on-year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total reserves | $740.803 bn | +$11.475 bn | +$49.696 bn | +$46.574 bn |
| Foreign-currency assets | $600.670 bn | +$9.337 bn | +$48.387 bn | +$16.733 bn |
| Gold | $116.409 bn | +$2.191 bn | +$1.014 bn | +$29.641 bn |
| SDRs | $18.810 bn | −$0.043 bn | +$0.188 bn | +$0.034 bn |
| IMF reserve position | $4.914 bn | −$0.011 bn | +$0.106 bn | +$0.165 bn |
RBI marks the figures provisional and notes that differences may arise from rounding.
Composition of the total
| Component | Calculated share |
|---|---|
| Foreign-currency assets | 81.08% |
| Gold | 15.71% |
| SDRs | 2.54% |
| IMF reserve position | 0.66% |
Shares use RBI’s unrounded published dollar amounts and may not total exactly 100% after display rounding. Foreign-currency assets accounted for more than four-fifths of the reserve stock; gold represented roughly one-sixth.
Foreign-currency assets are expressed in US dollars but can include assets denominated in other major currencies. Their reported dollar value can change with exchange rates. Gold reserves can similarly move in value when international bullion prices change.
What drove different comparison periods
Foreign-currency assets provided about 81.4% of the net weekly increase. Since end-March, they accounted for $48.387 billion of the $49.696-billion rise.
The year-on-year pattern was different. Gold contributed $29.641 billion, compared with $16.733 billion from foreign-currency assets.
| Period | Larger contributor |
|---|---|
| Latest week | Foreign-currency assets |
| Since end-March 2026 | Foreign-currency assets |
| Year-on-year | Gold |
The same headline total can therefore be driven by different components over different periods.
Rupee-denominated figures
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| Total reserves | ₹70,66,658 crore |
| Foreign-currency assets | ₹57,29,832 crore |
| Gold | ₹11,10,438 crore |
| SDRs | ₹1,79,428 crore |
| IMF reserve position | ₹46,960 crore |
The dollar and rupee tables are alternative presentations of the same stock and must not be added together.
Meaning and limitation
A large reserve position supplies external liquidity and can help India meet foreign-currency obligations and manage disorderly market conditions. It is not ordinary government spending money, a guarantee of a fixed rupee rate, proof of intervention on a particular day or a measure wholly insulated from valuation changes.