India's external debt surges 8.2% to $620.7 billion till March 2022: Finance Ministry

06 Sep 2022 Evaluate

Finance Ministry in its report on ‘India's external debt’ has said that India's external debt rose by 8.2 per cent year-on-year to USD 620.7 billion as of March 2022. It stated while 53.2 per cent of it was denominated in the US dollar, Indian rupee-denominated debt, estimated at 31.2 per cent, was the second largest.

It mentioned ‘India's external debt continues to be sustainable and prudently managed. As of end-March 2022, it stood at USD 620.7 billion, growing by 8.2 per cent over the level a year ago. External debt as a ratio to GDP was 19.9 per cent, while reserves to external debt ratio were 97.8 per cent.’ Foreign currency reserves as a ratio to external debt stood slightly lower at 97.8 per cent as of end-March 2022 than 100.6 per cent a year ago.

Further, it said the long-term debt estimated at USD 499.1 billion constituted the largest chunk of 80.4 per cent, while the short-term debt at USD 121.7 billion accounted for 19.6 per cent of the total. The short-term trade credit was predominantly in the form of trade credit (96 per cent) financing imports. Moreover, it stated the sovereign debt at USD 130.7 billion rose higher by 17.1 per cent over its level a year ago, mainly because of the additional allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during 2021-22.

The non-sovereign debt, on the other hand, grew 6.1 per cent to USD 490.0 billion over the level as of end-March 2021, it said, adding commercial borrowings, NRI deposits and short-term trade credit are the three biggest constituents of the non-sovereign debt, accounting for as much as 95.2 per cent. While NRI deposits declined by 2 per cent to USD 139.0 billion, commercial borrowings at USD 209.71 billion and short-term trade credit at USD 117.4 billion rose by 5.7 per cent and 20.5 per cent, respectively.

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