India's duty cut to revive gold demand after weak June quarter, World Gold Council says
By Rajendra Jadhav
MUMBAI, July 30 (Reuters) -India's gold demand in the June quarter fell 5% from a year ago, but consumption in the second half of 2024 is set to improve due to a correction in local price following a steep reduction in import taxes, the World Gold Council (WGC) said on Tuesday.
Higher purchases in the world's second-biggest gold consumer could support global benchmark prices XAU=, which are trading near record highs.
The recent 9 percentage point reduction in import duty on gold, implemented before the main festival season beginning in September, is expected to revive gold demand, further supported by good monsoon rains, said Sachin Jain, CEO of WGC's Indian operations.
India last week slashed import duties on gold to 6% from 15%, a move industry officials said could lift retail demand and help cut smuggling.
The duty cut brought down domestic prices of gold MAUc1 last week to 67,500 rupees ($806.20) per 10 grams, their lowest in four months, from a record high of 74,777 rupees earlier this month.
Good monsoon showers boost food grain production and improve farmers' income. Two-thirds of India's gold demand usually comes from rural areas, where jewellery is a traditional store of wealth.
"Strong gross domestic product forecasts and rural sector recovery are all likely to support demand in the second half of the year," WGC's Jain said.
India's gold consumption in the April-June quarter fell 5% to 149.7 metric tons, as a 17% fall in jewellery demand offset a 46% rise in the investment demand during the quarter, the WGC said.
Demand for gold from India could stand between 700 metric tons and 750 metric tons in 2024, the lowest in four years, it said.
The Reserve Bank of India continued its gold buying spree in the June quarter, adding 19 tons, which brought its total purchases for the first half of the year to 37 tons, more than double the total purchased in all of 2023, the WGC said.
($1 = 83.7260 Indian rupees)
Reporting by Rajendra Jadhav; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala
Related Assets
Latest News
Disclaimer: The XM Group entities provide execution-only service and access to our Online Trading Facility, permitting a person to view and/or use the content available on or via the website, is not intended to change or expand on this, nor does it change or expand on this. Such access and use are always subject to: (i) Terms and Conditions; (ii) Risk Warnings; and (iii) Full Disclaimer. Such content is therefore provided as no more than general information. Particularly, please be aware that the contents of our Online Trading Facility are neither a solicitation, nor an offer to enter any transactions on the financial markets. Trading on any financial market involves a significant level of risk to your capital.
All material published on our Online Trading Facility is intended for educational/informational purposes only, and does not contain – nor should it be considered as containing – financial, investment tax or trading advice and recommendations; or a record of our trading prices; or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instruments; or unsolicited financial promotions to you.
Any third-party content, as well as content prepared by XM, such as: opinions, news, research, analyses, prices and other information or links to third-party sites contained on this website are provided on an “as-is” basis, as general market commentary, and do not constitute investment advice. To the extent that any content is construed as investment research, you must note and accept that the content was not intended to and has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such, it would be considered as marketing communication under the relevant laws and regulations. Please ensure that you have read and understood our Notification on Non-Independent Investment. Research and Risk Warning concerning the foregoing information, which can be accessed here.
