India reduced its holdings of US Treasury securities to $181 billion in April. The Reserve Bank of India simultaneously raised its gold reserves to 881 metric tonnes.
The decline marks a six-year low for India's US Treasury holdings. Officials attributed the move to a deliberate strategy of diversifying foreign assets.
The central bank has added to its gold stock as a stable reserve asset. Gold holdings are viewed as less vulnerable to geopolitical tensions than other instruments.
This shift matches actions by other central banks that have increased purchases of precious metals in recent periods.