Gold Near Record Highs: Why Indian Investors Are Moving From Lockers to Demat Accounts
Indians have always bought gold. What is changing in 2026 is how they buy it, and why.
New Delhi [India], October 17: August showed the shift clearly. Domestic gold prices rose 12% during the month to ₹1,58,854 per 10 grams, closely tracking a 13% jump in the global benchmark to US$4,386 an ounce, one of gold’s strongest monthly gains in nearly three decades. Yet jewellery counters did not see the rush you might expect. The money went to exchanges and apps instead.
The numbers behind the shift
Gold ETFs attracted net inflows of ₹2,596.70 crore in August, up from ₹1,559 crore in July, making it the third straight month of positive flows. Total gold ETF assets in India rose to roughly ₹1.91 lakh crore, backed by 121.3 tonnes of the metal. Year-to-date inflows into ...









