- The global community must be wondering the way the geopolitical and geostrategic scenario is being played out over the last one year or so. As we know, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is dragging on for eternity. Likewise, though there is some semblance of peace, the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to bog the region down even now. The Iranian uprising and the subsequent threats by the USA have further muddied the already volatile region that much more. Then there is the tariff war unleashed by the maverick, impetuous, intemperate, and often illogical/ill-advised president of the USA, thinking that heavier taxes imposed on countries would make America great again. Little wonder, the whole world is under duress in one or other form.
PC: OpIndia
- Thankfully, the Indian leadership ensured that our economy does not face too much pressure/duressby initiating some smart moves to keep us afloat. The Indian GDP growth continues to be the best among all nations despite encountering several challenges. While the emphasis has been on domestic consumption and infrastructure, as well as implementing GST 2.0 to boost the local economy, what must be looked at is how the markets are trending of late. The market is witnessing volatility in the last few days courtesy of the global upheavals. The foreign private investors are taking funds out of the country. Consequently, the gold prices have dropped a little in the last few days, making us feel we have lost money.
PC: The Indian Express
- Of course, that feeling is normal; when something we own becomes cheaper, we feel less rich. But here’s the good news: if we have had gold since January 2025, its price is still about 70% higher than before. So, we’re actually richer than we think. And many experts say gold prices may rise even more this year. Big banks like UBS and JP Morgan think gold could reach around $6200-$6300 per ounce, which is more than double what it used to be. Why is gold becoming so expensive? A lot of it has to do with Donald Trump. His actions, like taxing imports, fighting with the US central bank chief, or making threats to other countries, make investors nervous. When people get nervous, they buy gold because it feels safe. Thus, gold prices go up.
PC: The Hans India
- Even small things, like saying he wants to replace the US central bank chief, can make the dollar rise and gold fall, or the opposite. His actions make gold prices jump around a lot. How does this affect India? By December last year, rising gold prices made Indian families richer by a huge amount, over Rs.117 lakh crore. Why? Because Indian households own about 35,000 tonnes of gold, almost as much as all the world’s central banks put together. That’s almost 20% of all the gold ever mined in history. India doesn’t produce much gold, so it must buy it from other countries using foreign money. But most of the gold in Indian homes just sits there in jewelleryboxes and lockers. It’s like a giant treasure chest nobody is using. How about selling the gold or converting it into a digital form, like a demat account or spend/invest? This helps the economy grow.
