<h1>India's External Debt Reaches $201.4 Billion by December 2007; Driven by Commercial Borrowing and Short-Term Debt Surge.</h1> India's external debt at the end of December 2007 was US$ 201.4 billion, marking an increase of US$ 10.3 billion over the quarter and US$ 31.8 billion since March 2007. The rise was driven by commercial borrowing and short-term debt. Long-term debt comprised 82.6% of the total, increasing by US$ 6.3 billion, while short-term debt rose by US$ 4 billion. Government debt accounted for 26.3% of the total, with non-government debt at 73.7%. Foreign exchange reserves stood at US$ 275.3 billion, covering 137% of the external debt. The US dollar's share in the debt portfolio rose to 54.5%.