India Forex Reserves Hit USD 692.6 Billion
India’s foreign exchange reserves recorded a strong weekly rise, increasing by USD 5.543 billion to reach around USD 692.576 billion for the week ended 14 November 2025, according to the latest data from the Reserve Bank of India. This comes after a decline of USD 2.699 billion in the previous reporting week, when reserves had fallen to USD 687.034 billion. The latest numbers indicate a renewed strengthening of India’s external buffer at a time of global financial uncertainty and volatile capital flows.
Gold Reserves Drive The Surge
The bulk of the increase in reserves came from a sharp jump in the value of India’s gold holdings. Gold reserves rose by about USD 5.327 billion, taking the total gold component to roughly USD 106.857 billion. This rise is largely due to higher international gold prices, as the RBI’s gold stock is marked to global market rates. Foreign Currency Assets, which form the largest part of the reserves, saw only a modest increase of about USD 152 million, to around USD 562.29 billion. Special Drawing Rights climbed by about USD 56 million to USD 18.65 billion, while India’s reserve position with the International Monetary Fund increased by roughly USD 8 million to about USD 4.779 billion.
What The Higher Reserves Mean For India
The latest rise in forex reserves improves India’s ability to deal with external shocks such as sudden outflows of foreign capital, currency volatility or a spike in import bills. Higher reserves generally support confidence in the rupee and give policymakers more room to manage external pressures. However, since a large part of this week’s increase is driven by valuation gains in gold rather than fresh foreign currency inflows, it also means the headline rise can reverse if global gold prices ease. Even so, the overall level of reserves remains comfortable and adds to India’s image as a relatively stable emerging market in a turbulent global environment.
