National News
Foreign exchange reserves declined by $11.413 billion to $698.346 billion
Forex drop due to a sharp fall in gold reserves:RBI
As of March 28, 2026, the Reserve Bank of India’s latest data reveals a brutal $30.14 billion evaporation in forex reserves over just three weeks. The headline-grabber? A staggering $13.49 billion collapse in gold reserves in a single week.
While the official line points to “valuation effects,” the underlying reality is a cocktail of geopolitical warfare, a bleeding Rupee, and an RBI backed into a corner.
For years, gold was the “safe haven.” In March 2026, it became a weight. The drop to $117.19 billion wasn’t because the RBI sold the family silver—it’s because the global gold market just endured its worst weekly rout in four decades.
- The Paper Flush: As the US-Iran conflict escalated, institutional investors faced massive margin calls on their stock portfolios. They didn’t sell gold because they lost faith in it; they sold it because it was the only liquid asset left to cover their losses.
- The Yield Trap: With oil breaching $110, inflation fears have spiked. This has forced the US Fed to signal “higher for longer” rates, making non-yielding gold look like an expensive hobby compared to high-interest US Treasuries.
The Rupee isn’t just sliding; it’s in a freefall. Falling over 4% in March alone and nearly 10% for the fiscal year, the Indian unit is gasping at record lows near 94.81/$1.
The central bank is fighting a multi-front war:
- Crude Oil Shock: Brent crude at $110 is a direct tax on India’s dollar reserves.
- The Forward Book Time Bomb: The RBI’s net short dollar position in the forward market is estimated to have ballooned to $100 billion.
- Import Cover Erosion: Adjusting for these forward positions, India’s “real” import cover has shriveled from 11 months to just 9.4 months.
If West Asia remains a tinderbox, the buffer that felt “invincible” at $728 billion in February could look skeletal by 2027. Some analysts are already eyeing a drop to $636 billion as the new reality.The RBI is no longer just “managing volatility”; it is performing triage on a currency being pummeled by global macro-forces it cannot control.
National News
Augmont-NSE Partnership Drives Strong Start for India’s Gold EGR Market, with Over 1,60,357 Units Traded in First Few Hours
Electronic Gold Receipts segment witnesses active two-way trading on day one, with 1,60,375 units traded, representing approximately 6 kg of gold and a traded value of ₹23.34 crore as of 04:25 PM
India’s gold market took an important step towards greater integration with the commencement of live trading in the Electronic Gold Receipts (EGR) segment on the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) today. Enabled through the collaboration between NSE and Augmont Enterprises Limited, the launch brings together NSE’s regulated exchange infrastructure and Augmont’s integrated physical gold ecosystem, creating a new avenue for investors to trade physically backed gold.
On its opening day, the EGR segment witnessed active two-way trading, with 1,60,357 units traded by approximately 04:25 PM, representing around 6 kg of gold. The trading activity translated into a cumulative traded value of approximately Rs.23.34 crore during the first session. The segment also demonstrated orderly price discovery, with prices remaining within a narrow intraday range of Rs.1,450.50 to Rs.1,460.00. The bid-ask spread remained between Rs.0.50 and Rs.1.00, indicating continuous two-way quotations and an active order book.
Each EGR represents 100 mg of physical gold, with the underlying gold held in SEBI-regulated vaults. Investors can buy and sell EGRs through their demat accounts on the exchange, while retaining the option of converting their holdings into physical gold, subject to the applicable framework. The segment follows a T+1 settlement cycle, under which trades executed on a particular day are settled on the next business day, facilitating the transfer of securities and funds through the exchange’s regulated clearing and settlement mechanism.
Under the strategic collaboration, Augmont serves as a key physical gold and infrastructure partner for NSE’s EGR segment, supporting the creation, vaulting, redemption and liquidity ecosystem. The gold backing the EGRs is sourced through Augmont’s integrated refining infrastructure, bringing together physical gold processing and exchange-based trading within a regulated framework.
The commencement of live trading marks an important step towards building a more transparent and accessible gold market in India. By enabling standardised gold to be traded through an exchange-based mechanism, EGRs have the potential to strengthen price discovery, improve market participation and create a more integrated ecosystem for physical gold.
Ketan Kothari, Whole-time Director, Augmont Enterprises Limited, said:
“The commencement of EGR trading marks the transition of our collaboration with NSE from building the underlying infrastructure to enabling a live, exchange-traded gold market. The day-one trading activity, continuous two-way quotations and orderly price discovery are important initial milestones for a new market segment.
At Augmont, we have brought together our refining capabilities and physical gold infrastructure to support the creation, vaulting and redemption of EGRs. We believe this initiative can play an important role in making physical gold more accessible, transparent and integrated with India’s formal financial ecosystem. Our focus remains on strengthening the ecosystem and supporting its wider adoption among investors, brokers and other market participants.“
Gauri Khan in ZOYA High Jewellery Collection Her Again
DP Jewellers Emerges As The First Choice Of Millions Of Customers On The Auspicious Occasion Of Dhanteras
Augmont-NSE Partnership Drives Strong Start for India’s Gold EGR Market, with Over 1,60,357 Units Traded in First Few Hours
Dhanteras Gold Business Across India Estimated at Approximately ₹60,000 Crore – A Promising Start for the Jewellery Industry: GJC
Augmont-NSE Partnership Drives Strong Start for India’s Gold EGR Market, with Over 1,60,357 Units Traded in First Few Hours
Gauri Khan in ZOYA High Jewellery Collection Her Again
-
JB Insights4 days agoDhanteras Gold Business Across India Estimated at Approximately ₹60,000 Crore – A Promising Start for the Jewellery Industry: GJC
-
National News4 days agoAugmont-NSE Partnership Drives Strong Start for India’s Gold EGR Market, with Over 1,60,357 Units Traded in First Few Hours
-
BrandBuzz4 days agoGauri Khan in ZOYA High Jewellery Collection Her Again
-
BrandBuzz4 days agoDP Jewellers Emerges As The First Choice Of Millions Of Customers On The Auspicious Occasion Of Dhanteras
JewelBuzz is Asia’s First Digital Jewellery Media & India’s No.1 B2B Jewellery Magazine, published by AM Media House. Since 2016, we’ve been the trusted source for jewellery news, market trends, trade insights, exhibitions, podcasts, and brand stories, connecting jewellers, retailers, and industry professionals worldwide.