Mumbai, India , November 26, 2025 :
India’s foreign exchange reserves reached a historic high of $702 billion on November 26, 2025, up $4.5 billion from the previous week’s $697.5 billion, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced around 5:00 PM IST. This surge was primarily driven by robust foreign inflows totaling $2.8 billion alongside a $1.2 billion currency valuation gain from euro-dollar movements and a $400 million gold revaluation boost.
The forex kitty breakdown reveals $450 billion held in securities, approximately $120 billion in gold assets, and $132 billion in bank deposits. These reserves now cover 14 months of imports, providing a strong buffer amid ongoing concerns about oil price volatility, particularly with Brent crude steady at $82 per barrel.
Economists earmark healthy services exports at $250 billion annually and remittances of $120 billion as underpinning the inflows. However, challenges like widening trade deficits—$25 billion in October—persist. Despite this, the solid reserve position places India ahead of Russia ($650 billion), enhancing the country’s capacity for external debt servicing and financial stability during market turbulence.
The forex milestone sparked a wave of positive responses on social media with the hashtag #IndiaForexRecord, celebrating India’s “economic fortress” status while also sparking debate about the risks of over-reliance on volatile foreign institutional investors.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hailed the record reserve as “a testament to prudent macroeconomic policies,” while indicating plans to diversify India’s forex assets further, including an increased focus on sustainable green bonds.
