RBI goes high on gold, adds 102 metric tonnes to its reserves between April-Sep, as total gold demand touches $100 billion
Oct 30, 2024, 16:23 IST
India's apex bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), went full guns blazing on its gold purchases this Dhanteras and bought back 102 metric tonnes of its gold from the Bank of England to its domestic vaults between April and September 2024. This was one of RBI's largest-ever moves since India's 1991 economic crisis when RBI had to airlift 47 tonnes of gold.
This takes India's total domestically held gold reserves to 510.46 metric tonnes as of September 30, up from over 408 metric tonnes at the end of the previous fiscal year. This year, RBI has been buying gold every single month.
RBI's overall gold reserves also burgeoned to 854.73 metric tonnes, including 324.01 metric tonnes held in safe custody with the Bank of England and the Bank for International Settlements, as well as 20.26 metric tonnes held in the form of gold deposits.
India has been increasingly repatriating its gold reserves from overseas in recent years. In the 2023-24 fiscal year, the country had already moved 100 metric tonnes of gold from the UK to domestic locations. India is looking to significantly reduce its dependence on foreign custodians for safeguarding its assets.
"The relocation of gold reserves to domestic vaults is a strategic move by the RBI to strengthen India's economic resilience and autonomy," said Dr. Amrita Sharma, a senior economist at a Mumbai-based think tank. "It signals a shift towards greater self-reliance in the management of the country's foreign exchange assets", she added.
These increased domestic gold holdings have also boosted the precious metal's share in India's total foreign exchange reserves, rising from 8.15% at the end of March 2024 to around 9.32% as of September 2024.
This comes amidst total global gold demand also touching a massive $100 billion in the third quarter of 2024, per a recent report by the World Gold Council. Per data, total gold demand increased by 5% YoY and reached 1,313 metric tons. This was more than double the investment demand seen by the yellow metal last year, when it stood at 364 metric tons.
Just as demand for gold ETFs surged, demand for gold bars and coins dipped by 9%. But despite that, their YTD (year-to-date) demand remains robust at 859 tonnes, much above the 10-year average of 774 tonnes. The rising gold prices dented global demand for gold jewelry, which fell by 12% on a YoY basis, in terms of volume.
But a corresponding 13% rise in the value of the jewelry consumed also indicates that consumers are okay spending on premium products, which might be less in quantity. Tech demand also boosted gold demand by 7% YoY, largely on the back of a booming electronics sector.
Louise Street, Senior Markets Analyst at the World Gold Council, commented, "Q3 saw increased investment and over-the-counter activity prop up global gold demand and drive price performance. While the higher gold price dampened demand in the majority of consumer markets, the import duty cut in India kept jewelry and bar and coin demand remarkably high in a record-breaking price environment.".
India's gold imports, which directly affect our current account deficit (CAD), rose by 21.78% to touch $27 billion during April-September, largely on the back of strong domestic demand emerging thanks to the festive season. The imports stood at $22.25 billion in September 2023-24, making yellow metal around 5% of the country's total imports, thereby pushing India's CAD to $137.44 billion during the first half of the current fiscal. Notably, India is the second largest consumer of gold in the world.
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This takes India's total domestically held gold reserves to 510.46 metric tonnes as of September 30, up from over 408 metric tonnes at the end of the previous fiscal year. This year, RBI has been buying gold every single month.
RBI's overall gold reserves also burgeoned to 854.73 metric tonnes, including 324.01 metric tonnes held in safe custody with the Bank of England and the Bank for International Settlements, as well as 20.26 metric tonnes held in the form of gold deposits.
India has been increasingly repatriating its gold reserves from overseas in recent years. In the 2023-24 fiscal year, the country had already moved 100 metric tonnes of gold from the UK to domestic locations. India is looking to significantly reduce its dependence on foreign custodians for safeguarding its assets.
"The relocation of gold reserves to domestic vaults is a strategic move by the RBI to strengthen India's economic resilience and autonomy," said Dr. Amrita Sharma, a senior economist at a Mumbai-based think tank. "It signals a shift towards greater self-reliance in the management of the country's foreign exchange assets", she added.
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This comes amidst total global gold demand also touching a massive $100 billion in the third quarter of 2024, per a recent report by the World Gold Council. Per data, total gold demand increased by 5% YoY and reached 1,313 metric tons. This was more than double the investment demand seen by the yellow metal last year, when it stood at 364 metric tons.
Demand going strong
Just as demand for gold ETFs surged, demand for gold bars and coins dipped by 9%. But despite that, their YTD (year-to-date) demand remains robust at 859 tonnes, much above the 10-year average of 774 tonnes. The rising gold prices dented global demand for gold jewelry, which fell by 12% on a YoY basis, in terms of volume. But a corresponding 13% rise in the value of the jewelry consumed also indicates that consumers are okay spending on premium products, which might be less in quantity. Tech demand also boosted gold demand by 7% YoY, largely on the back of a booming electronics sector.
Louise Street, Senior Markets Analyst at the World Gold Council, commented, "Q3 saw increased investment and over-the-counter activity prop up global gold demand and drive price performance. While the higher gold price dampened demand in the majority of consumer markets, the import duty cut in India kept jewelry and bar and coin demand remarkably high in a record-breaking price environment.".
India's gold imports, which directly affect our current account deficit (CAD), rose by 21.78% to touch $27 billion during April-September, largely on the back of strong domestic demand emerging thanks to the festive season. The imports stood at $22.25 billion in September 2023-24, making yellow metal around 5% of the country's total imports, thereby pushing India's CAD to $137.44 billion during the first half of the current fiscal. Notably, India is the second largest consumer of gold in the world.
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