New Delhi: India's external debt has jumped $10.3 bn in the quarter ended December 31, 2007, to cross the $200 bn mark, due to short-term commercial borrowings and short-term debt, the finance ministry said on Monday.

In contrast, the country's foreign exchange reserves stood at $275.3 bn and provided cover of 137 per cent to the total external debt, the ministry said.

Compared with $167.7 bn as at the end of March last year, the external debt moved up by $31.8 bn in the nine months and stood at $201.5 bn. The share of the US dollar in India's external debt portfolio that had been showing an increasing trend over the last few years moved up further to 54.5% at end-December 2007 from 52% at end-March 2007.

Source : IANS