RBI board approves dividend payment of ₹2,86,588 crore to government

The Central Board of Directors of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday (May 22, 2026) approved the transfer of surplus of ₹2,86,588.46 crore to the Central Government as dividend for the accounting year 2025-26.

This was after taking into consideration the current macroeconomic factors, financial performance of the Bank and maintenance of appropriate risk buffers, the RBI said. 

The board, at its 623rd meeting held in Mumbai under the chairmanship of RBI governor Sanjay Malhotra, decided to transfer ₹1,09,379.64 crore towards the Contingent Risk Buffer (CRB) for FY26 as against ₹44,861.70 crore in the previous year, and maintain the CRB at 6.5% of the size of the RBI balance sheet.

The board reviewed the global and domestic economic scenario, including risks to the outlook. 

The board deliberated on the annual accounts of the Reserve Bank for the FY26. The gross income of the bank increased by 26.42% over the previous year, while the expenditure before risk provisions increased by 27.6%. 

The net income, before risk provision and transfer to statutory funds, aggregated ₹3,95,972.10 crore in FY26 as against ₹3,13,455.77 crore in FY25, the RBI said in a statement. 

The RBI’s balance sheet expanded by 20.61% to ₹91,97,121.08 crore as on March 31, 2026. The revised Economic Capital Framework (ECF) provides flexibility to maintain the CRB within the range of 4.5-7.5% of the balance sheet size.