Gold recycling in India is growing, but far from mainstream

Sun July 19 2026

Across India, a fortune worth trillion lies not in mutual funds or fixed deposits, but as idle gold in lockers and cupboards, locked away, unutilised, and silently depreciating in opportunity cost. Indian households and temple trust collectively hold around 30,000-32,000 tonnes of gold worth $3.8 trillion. This ‘untapped economy’ is both a cultural heritage and a highly valuable source of wealth that, over the course of generations, has been built up as heirloom money and emergency money.

Despite being the second largest consumer of gold in the world, the recycling of gold in India is still not a common practice. The likely solution to bridging the gap between the two could change India’s perception of the yellow metal. With credible players setting up the system and driving change, recycling offers a solution to reduce import dependence and support national economic goals.

India ranks fourth globally in gold recycling, with approximately 11% of its gold supply coming from recycled sources over the past five years. However, this still pales in comparison to global benchmarks.

Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/