India’s Forex Reserves Hit Record High of USD 666.85 Billion
New Delhi [India], July 20: India’s foreign exchange reserves have surged to a record high, reaching a new peak of USD 666.85 billion, according to data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The data highlights an increase of USD 9.69 billion in just one week, as of 12 July, surpassing the previous high of USD 657.2 billion.
The reserves have been rising intermittently for some time now. The RBI data reveals that India’s foreign currency assets (FCA), the largest component of forex reserves, rose by USD 8.3 billion to USD 585.47 billion. Additionally, gold reserves increased by USD 1.2 billion, reaching USD 58.66 billion.
According to a recent RBI report, India’s foreign exchange reserves are now sufficient to cover over 11 months of projected imports. In the calendar year 2023, the RBI added approximately USD 58 billion to its foreign exchange reserves. In contrast, in 2022, India’s forex reserves declined by a cumulative USD 71 billion.
Forex reserves, or foreign exchange reserves (FX reserves), are assets held by a nation’s central bank or monetary authority, typically in reserve currencies such as the US Dollar, and to a lesser extent, the Euro, Japanese Yen, and Pound Sterling. The country’s foreign exchange reserves last reached an all-time high in October 2021. Much of the subsequent decline can be attributed to the increased cost of imported goods in 2022.
Additionally, the relative fall in forex reserves has been linked to the RBI’s market interventions to manage the uneven depreciation of the rupee against a surging US dollar. The RBI frequently intervenes in the market through liquidity management, including the sale of dollars, to prevent steep depreciation of the rupee. The RBI closely monitors the foreign exchange markets and intervenes only to maintain orderly market conditions by containing excessive volatility in the exchange rate, without reference to any pre-determined target level or band.
Doubts Revealed
Forex Reserves -: Forex reserves are like a big savings account for a country, holding money in different currencies, gold, and other assets. It helps the country buy things from other countries and keep its own money stable.
USD 666.85 Billion -: USD 666.85 billion means 666.85 billion US dollars. It’s a way to measure a very large amount of money that India has saved in its foreign exchange reserves.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) -: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is like the main bank of India. It controls all the other banks and manages the country’s money and financial system.
Foreign Currency Assets -: Foreign currency assets are money that India has saved in other countries’ currencies, like US dollars or Euros. It’s part of the forex reserves.
Gold -: Gold is a shiny, valuable metal that countries keep as part of their savings. It’s part of India’s forex reserves.
Imports -: Imports are things that India buys from other countries, like oil, electronics, or food. The forex reserves help pay for these imports.
2023 -: 2023 is the current year. The summary talks about how much money India has added to its forex reserves this year.
2022 -: 2022 was last year. The summary mentions that India had less money in its forex reserves in 2022 compared to 2023.
