BENGALURU (Reuters) – India’s foreign exchange reserves rose for a third straight week, hitting a lifetime high of $670.86 billion as of July 19, data from the Reserve Bank of India showed on Friday.
The reserves climbed by $4 billion in the reporting week, after rising by a total of $14.9 billion in the prior two weeks.
Changes in foreign currency assets are caused by the RBI’s intervention as well as the appreciation or depreciation of foreign assets held in its reserves.
Foreign exchange reserves also include India’s reserve tranche position in the International Monetary Fund.
In the week to which the foreign exchange data pertains, the rupee had logged a record closing low, and was down week-on-week.
The RBI has been defending the rupee during periods of volatility.
The currency settled at 83.7275 on Friday at an all-time low, extending its losing streak to the fourth straight week.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE RESERVES (in million U.S. dollars)
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July 19 July 12
2024 2024
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Foreign currency assets 588,048 585,470
Gold 59,992 58,663
SDRs 18,207 18,111
Reserve Tranche Position 4,610 4,609
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Total 670,857 666,854
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Source text: (https://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/BS_PressReleaseDisplay.aspx)
((India Headline News Team; +91 80 6749 1310))
(Reporting by Nishit Navin in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K)
