Story perspectives

India Posts $4.7B Current-Account Surplus, Trade Gap Widened

6/16/2026

Summary

India Posts Surplus

India posted a $4.7 billion current account surplus in April 2026, reversing a $4.8 billion deficit a year earlier.
Merchandise trade deficit widened to $27.9 billion as exports reached $44.6 billion and imports $72.5 billion.
Net services receipts rose to $18.6 billion and net transfers increased to $16 billion on higher remittances.
Foreign portfolio outflows of $8.7 billion produced an $11.3 billion capital account deficit and a $6.6 billion balance-of-payments deficit, versus a $0.5 billion surplus a year earlier.

Summary

RBI Publishes Monthly

The Reserve Bank of India announced it will publish balance of payments figures monthly instead of quarterly, with a reporting lag of 45 days or less.
The change was disclosed in a preliminary data bulletin released on Monday, June 15, 2026.
RBI officials said the new schedule is intended to give markets and policymakers more timely information.
The announcement was issued from Bangalore, highlighting the central bank’s regional outreach.

History

Historical Context

In 1991, a severe balance-of-payments crisis left India with only $1.2 billion in reserves, prompting Finance Minister Manmohan Singh and Prime Minister Narasimha Rao to secure an IMF loan and devalue the rupee. The reforms that followed transformed the economy, and today the RBI reports a $4.7 billion surplus with monthly BoP releases to improve transparency.

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India Posts Surplus

India posted a $4.7 billion current account surplus in April 2026, reversing a $4.8 billion deficit a year earlier.
Merchandise trade deficit widened to $27.9 billion as exports reached $44.6 billion and imports $72.5 billion.
Net services receipts rose to $18.6 billion and net transfers increased to $16 billion on higher remittances.
Foreign portfolio outflows of $8.7 billion produced an $11.3 billion capital account deficit and a $6.6 billion balance-of-payments deficit, versus a $0.5 billion surplus a year earlier.

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