New Delhi: India’s gold reserves, held by the RBI as part of the country’s foreign exchange reserves, have surpassed the $100 billion mark for the first time ever on the back of a sharp rise in the price of the precious metal and increased purchases by the central bank.

The gold component in India's forex reserves increased by $3.595 billion to $102.365 billion in the week ended October 10, RBI data released on Friday showed. However, overall foreign exchange reserves declined $2.18 billion to $697.784 billion as the RBI released dollars to prop up the rupee.

Gold's share in India's foreign exchange reserves has almost doubled over the past decade -- from below 7 per cent to nearly 15 per cent -- reflecting both steady central bank accumulation and a surge in global bullion prices.This

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