The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday announced a record surplus transfer of Rs 2.87 lakh crore to the Centre for the accounting year 2025-26, marking a 6.7% increase over the previous year. The latest dividend payout was largely in line with the government’s Budget Estimates, but fell slightly short of analyst expectations. The RBI set aside a higher amount for its contingency risk buffer (CRB) for 2025-26, as its balance sheet expanded more than a fifth year-on-year. This could strengthen its position to intervene in the financial market this year, in response to evolving domestic and global macroeconomic conditions.