MUMBAI: The country's foreign exchange reserves rose by $167.8 million to $420.758 billion in the week to March 2 on an increase in core currency assets, the Reserve Bank of India said today.

In the previous reporting week, the reserves had declined by $1.13 billion to $420.591 billion.

The reserves had touched a life-time high of $421.914 billion on February 9. It had crossed the $400-billion mark for the first time in the week to September 8 last year, but has been fluctuating since then.

In the week to March 2, the foreign currency assets, a major component of the overall reserves, rose by $ 177.2 million to $ 395.642 billion, the apex bank said.

Expressed in the US dollar terms, the foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation or depreciation of the non-US currencies such as the euro, the pound and the yen held in the reserves.

The value of gold reserves increased by $8.1 million to $21.522 billion, the central bank said.

The special drawing rights with the International Monetary Fund declined by $7.4 million to $1.529 billion.

The country's reserve position with IMF also declined by $10.1 million to $2.064 billion, the RBI said.