India brings 100 metric tonnes of gold back from UK, fills RBI vaults

This is one of the biggest movements of gold undertaken by the country since 1991

This is one of the biggest movements of gold undertaken by the country since 1991
This is one of the biggest movements of gold undertaken by the country since 1991

RBI transfers 1 lakh kg of gold from UK back to India, the first such move of this quantum since 1991

According to sources, India has moved 100 metric tonnes of its gold stored in the UK to domestic vaults in FY 2024.

This is one of the biggest movements of gold undertaken by the country since 1991, when pledging a substantial part of the gold holding to tide over a foreign exchange crisis resulted in its movement out of India.

The country’s overall gold holding increased 27.46 metric tonnes in FY24 and it stands at 822 metric tonnes, as per official data.

In the 1990s, India faced a critical situation where its foreign exchange reserves were depleted to the extent that they could only cover a few weeks’ worth of imports. In August 1990, the then RBI Governor proposed keeping 15% of gold reserves abroad for emergency use.

The sources told the Press Trust of India that a substantial part of the precious commodity is stored abroad, adding that India also had its holdings with the Bank of England like other countries.

The movement of 100 metric tonnes into India has taken the overall quantity stored locally to over 408 metric tonnes of gold, which means the local and foreign holding is now split almost evenly.

As per the annual report of the central bank for FY24 released on Thursday, over 308 metric tonnes of gold are held in India as backing for notes issued, while another 100.28 tonnes are held locally as an asset of the banking department.

Of the overall gold reserves, 413.79 metric tonnes are held abroad, the annual report said.

Sources told Press Trust of India that given the gold buying over the last few years, a call was taken to reduce the holding abroad which is part of the standard review procedures.

In 2009, India bought 200 tonnes of gold from the International Monetary Fund, after which it has been buying the precious commodity from the secondary market as part of its foreign exchange asset diversification efforts.

Officials from the Ministry of Finance, the RBI, and other agencies took care of the movement of gold in complete secrecy given the high value, as per the sources.

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