Gold demand in India rises by 27% in Jan-Mar: WGC

Gold demand in India, the world's largest consumer, rose by 27 per cent to 256.5 tonnes in the first quarter of 2013, World Gold Council (WGC) said today.

The demand for the precious metal stood at 202.1 tonnes in the same quarter last year, it said.

"Gold demand in India for both jewellery and investment continues to remain strong. The price fluctuations in gold recently have only served to reinforce Indian consumers' appetite for purchasing physical gold," WGC India Managing Director Somasundaram PR told reporters here.

He said gold is a time-tested asset class which has helped preserve the wealth of Indian families for generations.

"With the ongoing wedding and festive season, we believe that demand for gold will continue to remain robust," he said.

In terms of value, WGC said in its latest report that gold demand in India during January- March period of this year increased by 32 per cent to Rs 72,899.4 crore as against Rs 55,148.7 crore in the year-ago period.

Total jewellery demand rose by 15 per cent to 159.5 tonnes from 138.3 tonnes, while investment demand increased by 52 percent to 97 tonnes from 63.8 tonnes in the review period.

A total of 21 tonnes of gold was recycled in the January-March quarter of this year as against 25 tonnes in the same quarter of 2012, the report said.

The global gold demand in the first quarter of 2013 fell by 13 percent to 963 tonnes as strong growth in consumer demand for gold jewellery, bars and coins was exceeded by substantial net outflows from gold ETFs, WGC said.