RBI’s statistical department released data showing a 6% month‑on‑month jump in outward remittances to $2.7 billion for August 2026, with travel—particularly overseas education and business trips—making up 59.5% of the total.
The leap in travel remittances comes after an 11.4% rise in overall travel outflows, reaching $1.6 billion. Within that, overseas education travel pushed 28.5% to $855.5 million, while business travel exploded 365.4% to $51 million.
Other travel categories saw a dip: leisure and credit‑card settlements fell 7.4% to $713.8 million, pilgrimage expenses dropped 46% to $5.5 million, and medical travel payments slid 17.7% to $4.5 million.
Investment remittances stayed below last month’s levels, falling 6.7% to $321.5 million, yet they are 111.3% higher than August 2025, reflecting a sustained appetite for foreign equity and debt.
Remittances for close relatives and gifts fell modestly—2.8% to $275.4 million and 6.8% to $215.7 million respectively—though both categories recorded modest year‑on‑year gains of 1.2% and 13.3%.
Other channels—remote education, overseas property purchases, and donations—also shifted, with remote education up 29.2% to $191.8 million but down 39.9% YoY; property purchases down 22.2% to $39.6 million; donations fell 34.2% to $0.5 million. Deposits abroad rose 8.8% to $50.8 million, signalling broader capital‑flow trends.
RBI will publish a detailed commentary on these trends in its forthcoming quarterly report, potentially tightening LRS caps on travel‑related remittances.