ECONOMY
RBI announces record FY26 dividend of Rs 2.87 lakh crore to the government
- IBJ Bureau
- May 23, 2026
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has declared a record surplus transfer of Rs 2.87 lakh crore to the government for FY26.
The all-time high dividend is notably lower than what the North Block has estimated from the central bank for FY27.
In this year’s Union Budget, the government has estimated Rs 3.16 lakh crore in total dividend receipts from State-owned enterprises and surplus transfers from the central bank.
The RBI’s gross income has risen by 26.42 per cent from that of the previous year, while expenditure before risk provisions has increased by 27.60 per cent.
The RBI’s balance sheet has expanded by 20.61 per cent to Rs 91.97 lakh crore at the end of March 31, 2026.
After assessing current macroeconomic conditions, the central bank’s financial performance and the need to maintain adequate risk buffers, the central board has approved the transfer of Rs 1,09,379.64 crore to the contingent risk buffer (CRB) for FY26 compared with Rs 44,861.70 crore in the previous year.
The board has also decided to keep the CRB at 6.5 per cent of the RBI’s balance sheet size, the central bank has said.
Ahead of the announcement, economists had projected the RBI’s surplus transfer – often referred to as the central bank’s dividend to the government – to be within a range of Rs 2.7 lakh crore to Rs 3 lakh crore.
This follows last year’s transfer of Rs 2.69 lakh crore, which was 27 per cent higher than that of the previous year.
The windfall, according to economists polled by the Reuters, will not be sufficient to prevent New Delhi from missing its fiscal deficit target of 4.3 per cent for FY27.
Report By
View Reporter News