RBI Kicks Off 2025-26 Mutual Funds Survey to Enhance Data Accuracy

The Reserve Bank of India initiates the 2025-26 survey on mutual funds' foreign liabilities and assets to refine external sector statistics. Using a web-based platform, mutual funds must submit data by July 2026, aiming to bolster economic analysis through reliable and accurate data collection.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced the launch of its annual survey for the financial year 2025-26, targeting the foreign liabilities and assets of mutual funds. This initiative aims to enhance the compilation of India's external sector statistics by assessing the nation's overseas financial exposure.

The RBI's statement on Monday emphasized the importance of this survey, which requires mutual funds to report their external financial liabilities and assets as of March 2026. The aggregated outcomes of this analysis are publicly disclosed and serve as a fundamental resource in compiling India's external sector statistics.

Mutual funds are obligated to complete and submit their survey responses by July 7, 2026. According to the RBI, this annual exercise is part of a broader effort to maintain detailed records of India's external financial assets and liabilities, thereby enhancing the quality of data crucial for evaluating the country's international financial standing.

The data gathered from this survey aids policymakers and analysts in monitoring India's overseas financial exposure, contributing to vital external sector statistics used for economic evaluation and policy-making. This year, the survey is conducted via the Centralised Information Management System (CIMS), which allows for a streamlined, web-based data submission process.

This system, featuring integrated data consistency checks, is designed to improve the precision and reliability of the information provided by mutual funds. It also offers automated email confirmations upon successful data submission, underscoring the RBI's commitment to refining data quality assurance mechanisms.

The central bank has urged all mutual funds to adhere to the submission timeline, ensuring the timely compilation and dissemination of updated external sector data to support comprehensive economic analysis. (ANI)