Forex reserves drop $12.95 bn to $734.61 bn in week to Oct 2
Why in the news
The Reserve Bank of India’s Weekly Statistical Supplement, released on October 9, 2026, showed that India’s foreign exchange reserves fell sharply by US$ 12.95 billion to US$ 734.61 billion in the week ended October 2, 2026.
Key facts
- Total reserves: US$ 734,606 million, down US$ 12,952 million week-on-week, but up US$ 43,498 million since end-March 2026.
- Foreign currency assets (FCA): the largest component, down US$ 10,664 million.
- Gold reserves: down US$ 2,288 million to US$ 106,413 million.
- Special Drawing Rights (SDRs): up marginally by US$ 15 million.
- Bank credit of scheduled commercial banks grew 19.4% year-on-year and aggregate deposits 17.8% as on September 30, 2026.
- Money supply (M3) rose 16.9% year-on-year as on September 30, 2026.
Components of reserves (as on October 2, 2026)
| Component | Level (US$ mn) | Weekly change (US$ mn) |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign currency assets | 604,747 | -10,664 |
| Gold | 106,413 | -2,288 |
| SDRs | 18,656 | +15 |
| Reserve position in IMF | 4,789 | -15 |
| Total | 734,606 | -12,952 |
About forex reserves
India’s reserves have four parts: foreign currency assets, gold, SDRs and the reserve tranche position in the IMF. The RBI is their custodian and reports them every week in its Weekly Statistical Supplement. In rupee terms, total reserves stood at ₹7,073,111 crore.
Exam angle
- FCA is the biggest component, followed by gold.
- Remember the four components and the weekly data source (RBI WSS).
- Note the year-on-year growth of bank credit (19.4%) versus deposits (17.8%).