She responded to Congress MP Manish Tiwari’s concerns about whether the global shift towards gold signalled a move away from the US dollar as a dominant settlement mechanism.

Sitharaman said, “Gold is also kept in the Reserve Bank and gold is also being bought by the Reserve Bank. But beyond that, as regards an international currency or potential currency, there is not much for me to comment at this stage.”

Congress MP Tiwari stated that since the US abandoned the gold standard in 1971, gold had lost its significance as a major financial asset. However, in recent years, central banks worldwide have increased their gold holdings. From constituting only 6% of global reserves in 2006, gold now makes up about 11% in 2024. Countries like China, India, Poland, and Turkey have been among the most aggressive buyers, and domestic gold prices in India have surged as well. He asked “this shift away from the dollar to gold, does it indicate a renewed search for an alternative international settlement mechanism being cost the dollar?”