National News
Gold prices in India showed a small recovery after major drop
On May 13, 2025, gold prices in India showed a small recovery after a major fall the day before. With reduced geopolitical tensions, safe-haven demand has declined significantly, causing MCX Gold June futures to drop to Rs 92,975/10 grams. This represents a substantial decrease of nearly Rs 6,500 from its April 22 peak of Rs 99,358/10 grams.
The previous day witnessed weakness in both domestic and international markets. Gold June futures settled lower at Rs 92,901 per 10 grams, declining by 3.75%, whilst silver July futures ended at Rs 95,344 per kilogram, down by 1.43%.
On Monday, gold prices dropped sharply—twice in one day. In the morning, the price of 10 grams of 24-carat gold fell by ₹1,800. Later that evening, it dropped again by ₹1,400. Altogether, gold lost ₹3,200 for every 10 grams, bringing the price down to ₹95,460. This was a big fall, and many people were surprised.
Experts say the main reason for the drop was a change in international and political situations. Tensions between India and Pakistan started to calm down, so people felt safer and didn’t feel the need to invest in gold. Also, on the world stage, the United States and China agreed to pause their tariff hikes for 90 days. This made investors more interested in stocks and other investments instead of gold, which is often seen as a “safe-haven” during uncertain times.
India’s appetite for borrowing against gold is reshaping the country’s credit landscape. Outstanding gold-backed loans have surged 128% from a year earlier, crossing Rs.4 lakh crore ($48 billion) for the first time, according to data from the Reserve Bank of India. As of Jan. 31, loans secured by gold jewellery stood at Rs.4,00,517 crore, marking one of the fastest expansions in retail credit in recent years.
The boom in gold loans has helped propel overall non-food bank credit growth to 14.4% year-on-year. Personal loans now account for 34.5% of total bank lending, outpacing other segments and underscoring a broader shift toward consumer-driven credit expansion
Gold loans alone contributed roughly 9% of incremental bank credit during the period. Between January 2024 and January 2026, outstanding gold-backed credit rose by nearly Rs.3.1 lakh crore—an increase of about 338% over two years—more than quadrupling the size of the portfolio.
Two factors are driving the surge. First, gold prices have climbed roughly 152% over the past two years, increasing the collateral value of household holdings. Second, regulatory guidance requiring banks to classify loans secured by gold explicitly as gold loans has sharpened reporting and accelerated balance-sheet growth in the segment.
The trend highlights a distinctive feature of India’s financial system: households’ vast stock of physical gold, long viewed primarily as a store of wealth, is increasingly being mobilized as collateral for formal credit.
While personal lending and credit to nonbank financial companies within the services sector continue to expand rapidly, industrial credit remains uneven. Loans to micro, small and medium enterprises are growing steadily, but borrowing by large corporations has stayed relatively muted.
Since March 21, 2025, banks have added Rs.21.8 lakh crore to their non-food loan books, translating into 12% growth for the financial year to date. Yet it is gold—rather than factories or infrastructure—that is emerging as one of the most dynamic engines of India’s current credit cycle.
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