Gold and silver prices in India opened lower on Monday, following weakness in international bullion prices as a stronger dollar weighed on the prices of precious metals.

MCX gold rate today for April futures contracts opened 0.6% lower at Rs. 1,60,651 per 10 grams as against its previous close of Rs.1,61,634 level. MCX silver price for May futures contracts opened 0.29% lower at Rs. 2,67,497 per kilogram as against its previous close of Rs. 2,68,285 level. Selling pressure intensified and MCX gold and MCX silver prices were trading over 1%3.1 Dollar Strength

The US Dollar Index (DXY) rose to 99.695, hovering near a three-month high reached the prior week. Since bullion is priced in dollars globally, a stronger greenback makes gold and silver more expensive in local currencies, suppressing international demand and exerting downward pressure on prices.

US 10-year Treasury yields climbed to a near one-month high, elevating the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets such as gold. Investors rotating into higher-yielding fixed-income instruments contributed to the sell-off in precious metals.

A sharp rise in crude oil prices has reignited inflation concerns, causing markets to revise downward their expectations for near-term interest rate reductions by the US Federal Reserve. Delayed rate-cut prospects are bearish for gold, which typically benefits from lower real interest rate environments.

The ongoing US-Iran conflict in the Middle East escalated further during the reporting period. Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader, adding an additional layer of geopolitical uncertainty. Paradoxically, while geopolitical risks are traditionally positive for safe-haven assets like gold, the stronger dollar and rate-cut repricing dominated market sentiment, offsetting any safe-haven premium.