Lok Sabha Question No. 160 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-22
Subject: Country's External Debt
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Shri Manickam Tagore B

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 160

TO BE ANSWERED ON MONDAY, 22.07.2024

## COUNTRY'S EXTERNAL DEBT

## 160. Shri Manickam Tagore B:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is true that the country's external debt rises to $663.8 billion at the end of March 2024 which was higher by $39.7 than at the end of March 2023;
- (b) if so the details thereof;
- (c) whether  loans  remained  the  largest  component  of  external  debt  followed  by currency and deposits, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the outstanding debt  of  both  Government  and  non-Government  sectors increased at the end of March 2024; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)

(a) and (b): Yes Sir. The data on India's external debt are presented in the following Table 1.

| Table 1: India's External Debt   | Table 1: India's External Debt   |
|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
| Period                           | US$ billion                      |
| End March 2023                   | 624.1                            |
| End March 2024                   | 663.8                            |
| Sources: RBI                     | Sources: RBI                     |

- (c)    Loans were the largest component of external debt as of end March, 2024, with a share of 33.4 per cent, followed by currency and deposit-s at 23.3 per cent.  Details are in Table 2.

| Table 2: Outstanding External Debt by Instruments - End March 2024   | Table 2: Outstanding External Debt by Instruments - End March 2024   | Table 2: Outstanding External Debt by Instruments - End March 2024   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Instrument                                                           | US$ billion                                                          | Share (per cent)                                                     |
| Loans                                                                | 222.0                                                                | 33.4                                                                 |
| Currency and Deposits                                                | 154.8                                                                | 23.3                                                                 |
| Trade Credit and Advances                                            | 118.6                                                                | 17.9                                                                 |
| Debt Securities                                                      | 115.1                                                                | 17.3                                                                 |
| Direct Investment: Intercompany Lending                              | 31.4                                                                 | 4.7                                                                  |
| Special Drawing Rights (allocations)                                 | 21.9                                                                 | 3.3                                                                  |
| Other Debt Liabilities                                               | 0                                                                    | 0                                                                    |
| Total External Debt                                                  | 663.8                                                                | 100.0                                                                |
| Sources: RBI                                                         |                                                                      |                                                                      |

## (d) and (e) The data on India's Government and non-Government external debt are presented in the Table 3.

| Table 3: Government and Non-Government External Debt (US$ billion)   | Table 3: Government and Non-Government External Debt (US$ billion)   | Table 3: Government and Non-Government External Debt (US$ billion)   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Period                                                               | Government Debt                                                      | Non-government Debt                                                  |
| End-March 2023                                                       | 133.3                                                                | 490.7                                                                |
| End March 2024                                                       | 148.7                                                                | 515.1                                                                |
| Sources: RBI                                                         | Sources: RBI                                                         | Sources: RBI                                                         |

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