RBI balance sheet expands 20.6 per cent to Rs 91.97 lakh crore in FY26

The RBI’s balance sheet expanded 20.6 per cent to Rs 91.97 lakh crore in FY26, driven by strong growth in domestic investments, gold holdings and foreign investments. The central bank also declared a record dividend of around Rs 2.87 lakh crore to the Centre

Mumbai: The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) balance sheet expanded by a robust 20.6 per cent to Rs 91.97 lakh crore (as of March 31, 2026) 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.

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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.