Rs 11 lakh crore worth of gold with RBI, bullion share in forex doubles to 17.2% in just two years

The Reserve Bank of India’s gold reserves are currently valued at around Rs 11 lakh crore. The value of its bullion holdings increased by about 64 percent in only one year due to a strong increase in global gold prices and a decline in the rupee’s value relative to the dollar.

Gold held by the Issue Department — the arm that backs currency in circulation — rose 64.1 per cent in rupee terms to Rs 3,88,147.13 crore from Rs 2,36,537.54 crore. Gold held by the Banking Department, including gold deposits, jumped 63.6 per cent to Rs 7,06,162.36 crore from Rs 4,31,624.80 crore.

Together, the RBI’s total gold was valued at Rs 9,42,699 crore at end-March 2026, climbing further to nearly Rs 11 lakh crore — Rs 10,98,889 crore to be precise — by May 22, the weekly RBI data revealed. The RBI attributed the value increase to rising international gold prices and the depreciation of the Indian rupee against the US dollars.