PM CARES Fund Balance Rises to ₹8,452 Crore in FY25 as Donations Decline

The PM CARES Fund (Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund) recorded a closing balance of about ₹8,452 crore as of March 31, 2025, with its latest financial data showing a sharp rise in the fund's reserve despite a decline in fresh donations during the financial year.

According to the fund's FY 2024-25 audit data, total receipts stood at ₹8,452.95 crore, compared with ₹7,188.63 crore in 2023-24. The figures indicate that the fund's overall financial position strengthened even as contributions from domestic and overseas donors declined.

A significant portion of the fund's closing balance was held in fixed deposits. ₹7,846.65 crore, or nearly 93% of the balance, was kept in fixed deposits, which generated ₹469.38 crore in interest income during FY25. Interest therefore emerged as the fund's largest reported source of income for the year.

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Domestic and foreign contributions fall

The audit figures show that domestic donations to PM CARES declined to ₹479.05 crore in FY25, down from ₹681.81 crore in FY24. This represents a fall of nearly 30%.

Foreign contributions also declined during the same period, dropping to ₹9.28 lakh from ₹11.35 lakh in the previous financial year.

Despite the decline in donations, the fund's overall receipts increased because of income generated from its financial investments, particularly fixed deposits.

Fund's payments fall sharply

The PM CARES Fund's total payments during FY25 were reported at ₹87.85 lakh, compared with ₹15.60 crore in FY24. The reduction indicates substantially lower outgo during the year compared with the previous financial period.

The figures also show a widening difference between the money being retained in the fund and the amount disbursed during the year. At the end of FY25, the bulk of the fund remained invested in fixed deposits.

PM CARES Fund was created during COVID-19 pandemic

The Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund, commonly known as PM CARES Fund, was established in March 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The trust deed was registered in New Delhi on March 27, 2020, under the Registration Act, 1908.

According to the official PM CARES website, the fund is a public charitable trust intended to respond to public health emergencies, natural or man-made disasters and other situations of distress. Its objectives include supporting relief measures, healthcare and pharmaceutical infrastructure, relevant research and financial assistance to affected people.

The fund is financed through voluntary contributions from individuals and organisations and does not receive budgetary support from the government, according to the government's official description. Contributions are also eligible for tax benefits and can qualify as CSR expenditure under the applicable provisions.

During the initial COVID-19 response, the PM CARES Trust announced a ₹3,100-crore allocation, including around ₹2,000 crore for ventilators, ₹1,000 crore for migrant workers and ₹100 crore for vaccine development.

What the latest data shows

The FY25 figures present a fund with a substantially larger financial reserve but comparatively limited expenditure during the year. While contributions from donors have weakened, returns from fixed deposits have become a major contributor to the fund's income.

The latest figures were made public through the fund's audited financial disclosures, providing an updated picture of its receipts, investments and expenditure for FY 2024-25.