Why are Indian investors suddenly pouring money into gold ETFs?

AUM has jumped 255 percent in one year and inflows have shot up 540 percent, as investors rush towards paper gold instead of buying jewellery or coins.

Gold prices have hit record highs in India over the last two years and so returns on gold ETFs in 2025 have been very strong, with some funds delivering up to around 70 percent for investors. So many savers who earlier saw gold only as ornaments now see it as a serious financial asset, and they prefer ETFs because there are no making charges, storage issues or purity worries. And since ETFs can be bought and sold like shares in small amounts, they suit young investors who want flexibility but still respect gold’s traditional role in Indian households.

At the same time global tensions, currency swings and talk of rate cuts by major central banks have boosted gold’s reputation as a safe haven, so Indian investors are using gold ETFs as a hedge against market volatility and inflation. Data from AMFI shows net assets of gold ETFs rising to about ₹1.84 lakh crore by January 2026, with monthly inflows touching over ₹24,000 crore, which underlines how quickly this category is scaling up. So for many portfolios today, gold ETFs are becoming a stabiliser that balances equity funds and fixed income when news flow looks uncertain.