In response to an unusual current account surplus and a consistent stream of portfolio inflows, India’s foreign currency reserves have increased to more than $550 billion. The central bank has boosted the reserves by adding to the kitty. According to figures from the Reserve Bank of India, foreign exchange reserves reached $555.1 billion in the week ended Oct. 9, up from $474.660 billion at the beginning of the financial year in January this year.
Indian foreign exchange reserves have more than doubled since the country’s last big external sector crisis in 2013, during the taper tantrum. Reserves were $275 billion at the time of the crisis. The present reserves are sufficient to cover 12 months of imports at the level that existed before the epidemic.
Regarding the problems of India’s forex reserves, you might be thinking, what are the reasons? So here, for your convenience, we have compiled all the information in this article. Btw, if you want to avoid a scam then read Safetradebinaryoptions of how it looks.
Surge in Reserves
As of March 2020, they accounted for approximately 99 percent of India’s external debt, which stood at $558.5 billion. Currently, most analysts believe that forex reserves are enough, with some even contending that they may be more than adequate.
According to Renu Kohli, an impartial economist, the goal of amassing reserves is to serve as a form of self-insurance and to have access to funds as the first line of defense. Kohli asserted that they had achieved the goal. Sonal Varma, Nomura’s top India economist, agreed with the sentiment. She asserted that the current reserves are sufficient and, in some cases, more than sufficient.
Factors That Influence the Change in Foreign Exchange Reserves
Among the frequently expressed wishes is that India’s foreign exchange reserves be used to banks have come development in the country. According to Varma, such a notion had been floated in the past, specifically during 2007, when India was deemed to have sufficient reserves. Rakesh Mohan, then the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, had expressed opposition to the notion.
Volatile Nature of Reserves
Aside from that, the global financial crisis of 2008 demonstrated the volatile nature of reserves, as the country experienced considerable capital outflows during the period. Under his question, “Are we repeating the same mistake if we extrapolation in the current conditions?” Varma wondered. How much money would you deduct from our foreign reserves while we need infrastructure funding?
However, when investors and rating agencies compared India to other developing markets, the external vulnerability is substantially lower due to these reserves, which is a positive development. On the fiscal front, India stands out as being particularly susceptible. It is the outside world that has been of assistance to us.
Increasing The Returns – Golden Touch
To increase your returns, why not use the golden touch? While any suggestion that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) employ FX reserves for economical spending is fraught with danger, there is some substance to the idea that the RBI may need to keep an eye on returns as the kitty expands.
Except for a minor part of gold, all currency reserves are placed in liquid assets such as United States treasuries and Euro-denominated bonds of other advanced nations. For the most part, the interest rates in these countries have fallen to levels close to zero, with some instruments even trading at negative yields.
“If you have reached a particular threshold that more than matches your liquidity requirements, it is possible that you can begin to concentrate on returns because you have sufficient liquidity cover,” Varma explained. According to her statements, that is not the primary goal of central banks but rather a secondary goal.
While the RBI now allocates a tiny percentage of its reserves to external asset managers, who in turn invest the funds, Varma proposed that the allocation should be expanded and that the central bank may also include non-liquid assets such as gold in its investment decisions.
Gold Reserves of Emerging Market Countries Held by Their Central Banks
Mohapatra is not opposed to the concept of the Reserve Bank of India adding more gold to its portfolio of foreign exchange reserves. According to Mohapatra, gold reserves can contribute to the gradual diversification of India’s reserve portfolio.
The Bottom Line
Due to a pending economic restoration, an extended period of near-zero or negative rates and loose financial policies in advanced economies, and a “search for yield” among international investors, which can result in higher volatility of capital outflows to emerging market economies such as India in the coming years, Mohapatra believes it can play a stabilizing role for India’s external position. Investment diversification is a vital strategy, and gold is a critical component of that approach.
