RBI records 20.6 pc growth in assets to Rs 91.97 lakh crore in FY26
Mumbai, May 29
The Reserve Bank of India's balance sheet expanded by a robust 20.6 per cent to Rs 91.97 lakh crore compared to the corresponding figure of the previous year, on the back of a high growth in domestic investments, gold holdings and foreign investments, according to the RBI's annual report released on Friday.
In absolute terms, the balance sheet expanded by Rs 15.72 lakh crore during the year, taking the total assets to Rs 91.97 lakh crore from Rs 76.25 lakh crore a year earlier.
The increase marked an acceleration from the 8.2 per cent growth recorded in FY25, taking the size of the RBI's balance sheet to 26.4 per cent of gross domestic product. The expansion reflected the impact of liquidity operations, reserve management and changes in the composition of the RBI's assets.
Domestic investments rose 44.9 per cent during FY26, while gold holdings increased 63.8 and foreign investments grew 7.9 per cent, the report stated. Domestic assets accounted for 29.1 per cent of total assets as of March 31, 2026, compared with 25.7 per cent a year earlier.
Foreign currency assets, gold holdings, loans and advances to financial institutions outside India accounted for the remaining 70.9 per cent of total assets, down from 74.3 per cent a year earlier. The shift indicates that domestic assets increased at a faster pace than foreign assets during the year.
On the liabilities side, revaluation accounts, notes issued, deposits and other liabilities all increased during FY26.
The RBI said revaluation accounts rose 63.4 per cent, while notes issued increased 11.8 per cent. Deposits grew 11.6 per cent and other liabilities increased 21.1 per cent.
The report also showed that the central bank's balance sheet has expanded steadily in recent years. It stood at Rs 63.45 lakh crore at the end of FY23, increased to Rs 70.47 lakh crore in FY24 and rose further to Rs 76.25 lakh crore in FY25, before reaching Rs 91.97 lakh crore in FY26.
The RBI transferred Rs 1.09 lakh crore to the Contingency Fund during FY26. The central bank said the provision was made under its Economic Capital Framework. No transfer was made to the Asset Development Fund during the year.
"A provision of Rs 1,09,379.64 crore was made and transferred to the Contingency Fund," the RBI said. The RBI's Economic Capital Framework allows the contingent risk buffer to remain within a range of 4.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent of the balance sheet, the report added.
The RBI declared a record dividend of around Rs 2.87 lakh crore to Centre for FY26, that would help the government address challenges arising from the ongoing West Asia crisis.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Record dividend of ₹2.87 lakh crore to the Centre! That's massive. Should help the government manage the West Asia crisis and maybe even fund some infrastructure projects. But I'm curious about the 63% jump in gold holdings – is that a sign of de-dollarisation or just good treasury management? 📈
Brilliant move by RBI to increase domestic investments by 44.9% and gold by 63.8%. Reducing reliance on foreign assets is smart geopolitically. But I hope the contingency fund provision of ₹1.09 lakh crore is enough to deal with any future shocks. The ECF range of 4.5-7.5% seems reasonable. Overall, a strong report card for the central bank. 👏
While the numbers look great on paper, I'm a bit concerned about the 20.6% growth being too fast. Is this sustainable? Also, notes issued still growing at 11.8% – does that mean more currency in circulation? Hope this doesn't fuel inflation. Still, props to RBI for managing such a huge balance sheet effectively during turbulent times.
So the RBI's balance sheet is now 26.4% of GDP! That's significant. The ₹2.87 lakh crore dividend will surely help the government, especially with the West Asia crisis. But I wish the report had more details on how this impacts interest rates and loan availability for common borrowers. Still, good to see transparency in the annual report.
Gold holdings up 63.8%! 🔥 That's
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