Forex reserves fall US$ 18.3 billion in a week to US$ 747.6 billion
RBI's weekly data show reserves dropped sharply in the week to September 25, 2026, while banks kept parking ₹1.8 to ₹3.1 lakh crore of spare cash with RBI daily.
Official title: Reserve Bank of India – Bulletin Weekly Statistical Supplement – Extract · Press Release 2026-2027/1240
What happened
India's foreign exchange reserves were US$ 747.6 billion on September 25, 2026, down US$ 18.3 billion in one week. Foreign currency assets fell US$ 15.6 billion and gold US$ 2.6 billion. The release does not give reasons. Such falls usually come from RBI selling dollars to steady the rupee and from changes in the value of gold and other currencies. Reserves are still US$ 56.5 billion higher than at end-March.
Bank data for September 15 show deposits up 17.3% and loans up 18.1% over a year, and broad money (M3) up 16.6%. Banks had surplus cash: each day RBI absorbed between ₹1.8 lakh crore and ₹3.1 lakh crore through reverse repo auctions and its deposit window. State governments had ₹8,590 crore of short-term loans from RBI outstanding, down from ₹19,427 crore a week earlier.
What it means for you
No direct effect. Reserves of about US$ 748 billion are a large cushion against shocks to the rupee. Plenty of spare cash in banks tends to keep loan rates from rising.
What it means for businesses
A sharp weekly drop in reserves can point to pressure on the rupee, which matters for importers and anyone with foreign currency loans. Ample banking cash keeps short-term borrowing costs low.
Read the original
Press release on rbi.org.in ↗ Official PDF ↗
This explainer simplifies the official text. If anything here differs from the RBI's release, the release is right.