New Delhi: India's gold reserves crossed the $100 billion mark for the first time, driven by a global rally in bullion prices, according to the Reserve Bank of India's latest data.

RBI's gold holdings rose by $3.595 billion to $102.365 billion in the week ending 10 October 2025, even as the country's overall foreign exchange reserves fell by $2.18 billion to $697.784 billion. Gold now accounts for 14.7% of India's total reserves, the highest level since 1996-97.

Over the past decade, the share of gold in India's forex reserves has nearly doubled, from under 7% to almost 15%, thanks to both steady RBI accumulation and surging global prices. This milestone comes despite a slowdown in gold purchases this year. From January to September 2025, the central bank bought gold only in four months, acquiring just 4 tons compared to 50 tons in the same period last year, according to World Gold Council data.

"Gold's rising share in India's forex reserves is largely due to valuation gains from higher gold prices," said Kavita Chacko, research head for India at the World Gold Council. Global gold prices have surged about 65% in 2025, driven by macroeconomic trends, institutional demand and investor sentiment. Central banks worldwide continue to accumulate gold as a hedge against geopolitical risks, sanctions and de-dollarisation.