Equity MF Inflows Rise in February; Gold ETF Flows Ease After January Spike

Equity mutual fund inflows rose 8% in February, led by mid- and small-cap funds, while total industry inflows moderated from January’s spike. Gold ETF flows cooled but remained above levels seen in several previous months.

BasisPoint Insight

March 10, 2026 at 11:26 AM IST

Gold in Equity Funds Risks Expanding India’s Import Burden

Allowing equity mutual funds to invest in gold may aid diversification, yet in an import-dependent economy, it could quietly expand demand and pressure the external balance.

R. Gurumurthy

March 4, 2026 at 11:22 AM IST

Week in Numbers: Tracking India’s Economic Pulse

The biggest surprise about India’s new GDP series released this week was that it did not throw up any surprises.

Datametricx

February 28, 2026 at 1:13 PM IST

iStock.com

Briefing

RBI’s New FX Framework Signals Controlled Integration

India’s new FX framework deepens global integration, but reinforces capital, reporting and exposure guardrails.

V Thiagarajan

February 21, 2026 at 6:51 AM IST

Gold Surge Widens January Trade Deficit, US Trade Deal May Steady Exports

BasisPoint Insight

February 17, 2026 at 9:01 AM IST

Week in Numbers: Tracking India’s Economic Pulse

New CPI series suggests that underlying inflation may be softer than previously assumed, even as headline print remains broadly similar with the old series.

Datametricx

February 14, 2026 at 10:43 AM IST

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation

Gold, Silver ETFs Dominate January MF Flows as Equity Inflows Ease

Gold and silver ETFs led mutual fund inflows in January overtakes equity flows as rising precious metal prices and global uncertainty pushed investors toward diversification.

BasisPoint Insight

February 10, 2026 at 7:36 AM IST

stock/Andy

Budget 2026

Why Govt Should Hike Customs Duty on Gold, Vegetable Oils

India’s surging gold and edible oil imports are widening the trade deficit, pressuring the rupee and hurting farmers, making a strong case for restoring higher import duties.

G. Chandrashekhar

January 29, 2026 at 7:04 AM IST

iStock.com/D. Talukdar

Gold Fantasies vs. Financial Reality: The Reserve Narrative That Doesn’t Add Up

Claims of gold reclaiming a 1970s-style dominance in global reserves ignore today’s monetary reality, supply constraints, and the operational limits that keep hard currencies at the system’s core.

R. Gurumurthy

January 27, 2026 at 10:51 AM IST

Screengrab from "RBI Unlocked: Beyond the Rupee" series (JioHotstar)

Week in Numbers: Tracking India’s Economic Pulse

The high-frequency indicators pointed to an improvement in economic activity at the start of the year, suggesting stronger momentum in January.

Datametricx

January 24, 2026 at 11:25 AM IST

istock.com

Budget 2026

A Budget for Capital Formation, Not Just Fiscal Bookkeeping

India’s real budget challenge isn’t deficit maths but mobilising patient capital, deep savings and long-term risk-taking in a capital-scarce economy.

R. Gurumurthy

January 19, 2026 at 6:42 AM IST

iStock.com

Week in Numbers: Tracking India’s Economic Pulse

High-frequency indicators in December pointed to some improvement in urban demand, even as rural demand continued to outpace it.

Datametricx

January 10, 2026 at 12:46 PM IST

Istock.com

India’s Jewellery Boom May Be a Gold-Priced Mirage

Jewellery sales jumped 41–51% in Q3, but soaring gold prices did the heavy lifting. Investors should watch volumes, mix shifts, and inventory risk.

Krishnadevan V

January 7, 2026 at 10:10 AM IST

iStock.com/D. Talukdar

Week in Numbers: Tracking India’s Economic Pulse

Notwithstanding the robust growth reported in the latest GDP numbers, high-frequency indicators point to anaemic momentum in industrial activity.

Datametricx

December 27, 2025 at 11:39 AM IST

istock.com

The Underpriced Asset Class: Pleasant Uncertainties

Markets price fear well but relief poorly. Peace in Ukraine could compress uncertainty, steady the dollar, lift EMs and drive rotation.

R. Gurumurthy

December 23, 2025 at 5:48 AM IST

iStock.com

Equity MF Inflows Rebound After Three-Month Slide; Gold ETF Inflows Halve

Equity inflows rebounded in November after three months of declines, even as gold ETF demand eased, reflecting a shift in investor allocation across key mutual fund categories.

BasisPoint Insight

December 11, 2025 at 8:23 AM IST

Monetary Policy

December Cut for Inflation, a February Cut for Growth

India’s December cut signalled entrenched disinflation, yet weakening growth may force another move in February as liquidity and demand slip.

Yield Scribe

December 8, 2025 at 2:34 AM IST

A Nervous Rupee Meets an Uncomfortable Silence

The rupee’s slide toward 90 underscores a central truth: currencies are not just reflections of fundamentals. They are also mirrors of policy signalling, global crosswinds, biases, and narratives.

V Thiagarajan

December 3, 2025 at 2:42 AM IST

iStock.com

Market Wrap

Equities Ease on Cautious Tone After GDP Surprise and Rupee Weakness

An end-of-day recap of all that transpired in the Indian markets, highlighting the major price movements and the factors driving them

Dehuti Jani

December 1, 2025 at 12:02 PM IST

Week in Numbers: Tracking India’s Economic Pulse

The RBI has a nice problem to have – a booming economy and record-low inflation. This may make the MPC’s policy decision a tighter call and keep markets on tenterhooks.

Datametricx

November 29, 2025 at 1:07 PM IST

iStock.com

The Real Story Behind India’s Gold Rush: Signals, Not Contradictions

Gold demand surged despite calm macros for reasons rooted in psychology, not fear. India’s financial actions reflect diverse motives that leaders must learn to read. People aren’t irrational. Our narratives about them are lazy.

Kirti Tarang Pande

November 27, 2025 at 6:20 AM IST

iStock.com/rvimages

US Treasuries are Losing Foreign Demand Steadily

Global appetite for US Treasuries is fading fast, with major emerging markets cutting their holdings. A deeper structural retreat from the dollar is taking shape as emerging markets brace for risk of sanctions.

Yield Scribe

November 24, 2025 at 8:09 AM IST

Douglas Rissing/iStock.com

Week in Numbers: Tracking India’s Economic Pulse

India’s merchandise exports declined in October, as expected, but the weakness extended beyond the impact of US import tariffs.

Datametricx

November 22, 2025 at 8:16 AM IST

iStock.com

Equity Mutual Fund Inflows Fall for Third Straight Month in October

BasisPoint Insight

November 11, 2025 at 8:26 AM IST

Week in Numbers: Tracking India’s Economic Pulse

Early data suggest a sharp uptick in demand in October following GST rate cuts — but can it last? E-way bills suggest otherwise.

Datametricx

November 8, 2025 at 8:33 AM IST

istocks.com

Week in Numbers: Tracking India’s Economic Pulse

India’s industrial growth more than doubled in the July-September quarter, but remained well below the expansion signalled by the PMI.

Datametricx

November 1, 2025 at 7:57 AM IST

Opinion

A Bharat Ratna Is Not a Prison of Virtue

Sachin Tendulkar’s Titan ad has sparked a misplaced moral storm. Public recognition does not erase private rights. Freedom, even for a Bharat Ratna, must remain indivisible.

Srinath Sridharan

October 29, 2025 at 7:22 AM IST

iStock.com/rvimages

Are Global Markets Truly Steady or Just Holding Their Breath?

Amid tight policies and global uncertainty, financial markets continue to function smoothly, reflecting resilience built through hard-earned lessons

Babuji K

October 28, 2025 at 7:20 AM IST

iStock.com

Gold’s Glow Can’t Revive India’s Spending

Surging gold prices have inflated household wealth on paper, yet the wealth effect remains mostly notional as weak incomes and high debt restrain spending.

Dhananjay Sinha

October 27, 2025 at 9:41 AM IST

iStock.com/D. Talukdar

Regulate Bullion Trade for Transparency

The government should establish a robust mechanism to monitor the source of funds used in gold imports and implement end-to-end regulation of the bullion trade.

G. Chandrashekhar

October 27, 2025 at 4:38 AM IST

iStock.com/rvimages

The Next Crisis: Too Liquid to Fail, Too Clever by Half

When every crisis is met with more liquidity, risk mutates. The next meltdown may expose the limits of faith in money as the ultimate fix.

R. Gurumurthy

October 20, 2025 at 5:39 AM IST

iStock.com

The Morning Edge

Safe-Haven Rally Deepens as US–China Trade War Escalates Over Rare Earths

Here’s your quick read to start the day: a chatty, no-fuss look at overnight moves, the big story, what’s on the docket, and the tickers you need to watch.

Richard Fargose

October 16, 2025 at 1:39 AM IST

iStock.com/Rawf8

Briefing

Myth of Currency Debasement

Markets often mistake monetary flexibility for monetary decay. The greater risk lies in misreading cycles as signs of systemic erosion.

V Thiagarajan

October 12, 2025 at 4:16 PM IST

Opinion

Gold’s Rational Resilience in an Irrational World

For central banks, gold is not a relic of history but a rational hedge against the politics for & of money, the fragility of debt, and the unpredictability of power.

Srinath Sridharan

October 12, 2025 at 3:33 PM IST

Screengrab from "RBI Unlocked: Beyond the Rupee" series (JioHotstar)

Week in Numbers – Tracking India’s Economic Pulse

There are early signs that the GST rate cuts are beginning to filter through the system. E-way bills in September and automobile sales during the Navaratri week indicate a promising start.

Datametricx

October 12, 2025 at 2:17 PM IST

Gold ETFs Log Record Inflows in September; Equity Fund Inflows Ease for Second Month

BasisPoint Insight

October 10, 2025 at 12:07 PM IST

stock/Andy

The Case for IMF Gold Sales

The IMF’s gold reserves are worth over $350 billion – more than Chile’s GDP. Selling just 10% of these holdings would generate enough funds to offset this year’s foreign-aid cuts.

Tim Hirschel-Burns and Marina Zucker-Marques

October 10, 2025 at 5:33 AM IST

iStock.com

The Morning Edge

Markets Turn Risk-On Amid AI Boom, Fed Rate-Cut Hopes

Here’s your quick read to start the day: a chatty, no-fuss look at overnight moves, the big story, what’s on the docket, and the tickers you need to watch.

Richard Fargose

October 9, 2025 at 1:42 AM IST

Federal Reserve

The Morning Edge

Caution Reigns as Gold Shines Bright in Risk-Off Trade

Here’s your quick read to start the day: a chatty, no-fuss look at overnight moves, the big story, what’s on the docket, and the tickers you need to watch.

Richard Fargose

October 8, 2025 at 1:34 AM IST

stock/Andy

Briefing

Bitcoin Inside - Are We Smelling a Super-Prime Crisis?

Strive’s $1.3 billion deal shows how Bitcoin inside corporate wrappers creates systemic risk

R. Gurumurthy

September 24, 2025 at 9:13 AM IST

Istock/BlackJack3D

India’s Gold Muscle Is Wasted Without Market Credibility

India buys a fifth of the world’s gold yet takes cues from London and New York. Without trust, transparency and reform, import muscle means little.

G. Chandrashekhar

September 18, 2025 at 9:35 AM IST

stock/Andy

The Morning Edge

Trump Urges EU Tariffs on China, India; Gold Hits Record Amid Rate-Cut Bets

Here’s your quick read to start the day: a chatty, no-fuss look at overnight moves, the big story, what’s on the docket, and the tickers you need to watch.

Richard Fargose

September 10, 2025 at 1:27 AM IST

baona/iStock.com

Central Banks Swipe Right on Gold, Left on the Dollar

India’s rising reserves mask a deeper truth, as the age of dollar monogamy gives way to messy multipolar dating games.

R. Gurumurthy

August 20, 2025 at 4:39 PM IST

iStock.com

Inflation’s All Zen Unless You Buy Coconuts, Oils or Little Gold on the Side

Record-low inflation sounds dreamy, unless your shopping list includes coconuts, cooking oil, or a bit of gold for the bank locker.

BasisPoint Insight

August 15, 2025 at 8:04 AM IST

iStock.com

All That Glitters: Gold Reserves Surge in Challenge to Dollar’s “Exorbitant Privilege”

Central banks are hoarding gold at record pace, hedging against dollar risk and geopolitical shocks. The yellow metal may not dethrone* the greenback yet, but it is back in the game.

Michael Debabrata Patra

August 14, 2025 at 3:27 AM IST

Screengrab from "RBI Unlocked: Beyond the Rupee" series (JioHotstar)

Is Titan's Valuation Glow Beginning to Fade?

Titan’s jewellery growth, in April-June, lags expectation amid soaring gold prices and flat buyer base, pressuring its premium valuation outlook.

Dev Chandrasekhar

July 16, 2025 at 9:38 AM IST

iStock.com/rvimages

Kerala’s Inflation Crisis Exposes India’s Blind Spot

Kerala’s surging prices expose India’s inflation blind spot, underscoring the need for tailored, state-level policy responses.

Richard Fargose

July 16, 2025 at 1:29 AM IST

istocks/rchphoto

When Uncertainty Reigns, All That Glitters Is Gold

Geopolitical fractures and currency weakness revive gold’s relevance, positioning it as a dual hedge alongside equities for Indian investors.

Manoj Rane

May 2, 2025 at 5:33 AM IST

iStock.com/rvimages

Gold: Security Blanket Or Speculator’s Dream?

Gold’s rise is driven less by fundamentals and more by fear, with central banks and speculators shaping its identity as both safety net and bubble.

R. Gurumurthy

May 2, 2025 at 5:16 AM IST

iStock.com/D. Talukdar

Digest

The Morning Edge: Euro And Gold Emerge As Safe Havens Amid Tariff Turmoil

A newsletter designed to prepare you for the day, offering a concise summary of overnight developments and key events ahead that could influence your workday.

Richard Fargose

April 14, 2025 at 1:21 AM IST

The Morning Edge: Gold Soars to Record High as Trade War Fears Mount

A newsletter designed to prepare you for the day, offering a concise summary of overnight developments and key events ahead that could influence your workday.

Richard Fargose

March 31, 2025 at 2:09 AM IST

Govt Pulls The Plug On Gold Monetisation Scheme

BasisPoint Insight

March 25, 2025 at 4:50 PM IST

A Golden Blunder: The Costly Mistake Of Tackling India’s Gold Obsession

The sovereign gold bond scheme was meant to curb India's gold hunger. Instead, it has turned into a fiscal nightmare, with the government trapped in a gilded debt spiral.

BasisPoint Groupthink

March 21, 2025 at 9:14 AM IST

iStock.com/D. Talukdar

The Morning Edge: Gold Surges Past $3,000 for First Time Amid Tariff-Driven Uncertainty

A newsletter designed to prepare you for the day, offering a concise summary of overnight developments and key events ahead that could influence your workday.

Richard Fargose

March 17, 2025 at 1:25 AM IST

The Morning Edge – Gold, MPC Minutes

A newsletter designed to prepare you for the day, offering a concise summary of overnight developments and key events ahead that could influence your workday.

Richard Fargose

February 21, 2025 at 1:35 AM IST

The Bureau

Govt invokes Essential Commodities Act to Divert Natural Gas to Priority Sectors

Equity MF Inflows Rise in February; Gold ETF Flows Ease After January Spike

US Treasury Secretary Says Allowed India to Buy Russian Crude Oil for 30 Days

Auto Retail Sales Surge to Record February Levels, Led by Two-Wheelers and Tractors

GAIL Reports Zero LNG Allocation from Petronet Following Strait of Hormuz Force Majeure

Bajaj Auto Total Sales Rise 27% on Year to 448,259 Units in February

Royal Enfield February Sales Rise 11% to 100,905 Units; Board Approves ₹9.58 Billion Expansion

New GDP Data: Problem Fixed, Or Made Worse?

Learning to Shoot: I Tried to Fly Before I Could Walk

Newsletter

The Bureau