Gold coin magic: Index of prosperity of Indian women
'Gold' (a word that in India is not just metal, but a symbol of culture, faith and economic power. Here the 'magic of gold' shows the financial intelligence and foresight of Indian women. Why has gold, which was once an inert relic, now reached such heights? The confluence of global and domestic circumstances provides the answer. On the colourful stage of global finance, where markets dance like a cosmic storm, a shining truth shines like a celestial lamp—Indian women who are the unabashed architects of prosperity have woven gold into an empire of enduring splendor. Uday Kotak, the Kotak Mahindra Bank veteran, has crowned him the 'most intelligent fund manager', an announcement that echoes like a temple bell. On April 22, he wrote on X: 'The gold-time performance shows that the Indian housewife is the most intelligent fund manager in the world. Governments, central banks, economists who support high deficit financing should learn from India which has always been a net importer of reserves of value. ’
Harsh Goenka, visionary chairman of RPG Group, further enhanced this praise with a funny anecdote: "Ten years ago, I bought a car for Rs 8 lakh. He bought gold worth Rs 8 lakh. Today, the car costs Rs 1.5 lakh. His gold? Rs. 32 lakhs. I said, 'Stop sleeping, go on vacation?' Gold up to 5 generations. Lesson: Wives are smarter. These financial giants bow down to the infallible intelligence of women, whose gold bets outshine even the sharpest minds on Wall Street. The better half is now proving to be the best financial guru.
Gold in India goes beyond just metals. It is a sacred saga, a divine power that women handle with the precision of poets and the foresight of sages. It was once dismissed as a 'non-productive asset' – in 2019 Kotak himself criticised it, calling it a burden on India's current account deficit, but gold has flown like a mythical phoenix. Its 26 per cent jump in 2025 silenced critics and this ancestral legacy has now become a financial force that surpasses even stocks and bonds. It's not just investment, it's alchemy – a miracle built on the unwavering faith of women who transformed the glitter of gold from cultural respect to economic triumph.
To understand the sanctity of gold one has to delve into the soul of India, where it is more than a commodity, a promise. It is the bangle that adorns the bride's wrist, the coin that is hidden under the mattress, a shield against the storms of life. Says a Delhi-based cultural historian, "Gold is not just wealth, it is the heartbeat of dynasties, the silent promise of security woven into the fabric of India." ’
Unlike in the West, gold is both a talisman and a treasure for Indian women, a shield against the erosion of inflation and the uncertainty of currency. Socially it connects generations, a shining thread in the fabric of kinship. Economically, it constitutes about 40 per cent of India's GDP, a testimony to its existence as the country's supreme asset. Indian families, guided by the skilled hands of women, hold 24,000-25,000 tonnes of gold--11 per cent of the world's jewellery, valued at Rs 24-25 trillion. This treasure also dwarfs the reserves of America (8000 tons), Germany (3300 tons), Italy (2450 tons), France (2400 tons) and Russia (1900 tons). In contrast, Western families own only 2,000-3,000 tons of gold, mostly in ingots and coins. Europe's gold sleeps in the vaults of central banks.
This difference reflects a deep cultural divide. In India, gold is a living symbol of protection and honour, worn with pride like a warrior's pinnacle. In the West, money beats in intangible stocks and bonds that are more transient. Indian women, with their innate intelligence, have created a legacy that eclipses the cold arithmetic of global markets. His gold collection is a living testimony to the wisdom that transcended ages and empires.
Why did gold, which was once an inert remnant, soar to such heights? The confluence of global and domestic currents provides the answer. Geopolitical turmoil-like US-China tensions and fears of a slowdown in the US economy have pushed investors towards safe havens. "Gold thrives in uncertainty, its shine untouched by the storms of global markets," says a Mumbai-based analyst. ’
Domestically, the role of gold has changed from stable reserves to dynamic hedge. A 2025 financial report says, "Gold stocks have quadrupled in the last decade to consistently outperform inflation. The price of 10 grams of gold in 2015 was Rs 25,000, which rose to Rs 98,420 in 2025, a jump of 300 per cent, which surpasses the 200 per cent rise of the BSE Sensex from 28,000 to 80,000. With an annual return of about 15 percent, gold is no longer a passive asset, but a comet whose momentum is driven by the foresight of women.
In the bustling markets of Chennai, the winding lanes of Old Delhi and the luxurious penthouses of Mumbai, women operate this gold symphony. Imagine a matriarch, her sari shining like the Himalayan dawn, bargaining with a jeweller whose scales tremble before her eyes. Her buy-one, a loss, a coin—is not an impulse, but a deliberate blend of emotion and strategy. These women are not just consumers, but high priestesses, their homes are temples where bangles tell stories of resilience.
Gold in villages is a farmer's wife's shield against drought. In urban areas, it is an executive woman's shield against market volatility. Digital gold, summoned by a swipe of a smartphone, also bears his imprint that combines ancestral intelligence with modern innovation. From gold exchange-traded funds to sovereign bonds, women have broken financial boundaries, their acumen reshaping India's economic landscape with an audacity that humbles even industrialists.
Still, the gold glitter casts complex shadows. The dowry system, though declining, still binds women with burdensome expectations. The environmental footprints of mining and the ethical dilemmas of sourcing are huge but Indian women have always faced these challenges with clarity. She advocates for recycled gold, advocates for sustainable practices and promotes reforms to ease the burden of tradition. His devotion is not stereotyped, but discreet, a dance that is a blend of reverence and regeneration that keeps the golden flame shining.
As India faces economic storms, gold remains its guiding star, guided by the wisdom of women who are on par with the largest hedge funds. He not only preserved wealth, but also magnified it, his gold acumen is a lighthouse in a turbulent world. Kotak and Goenka, the giants of the industry stand in awe in front of these carat queens. Their natural intuition has outperformed algorithmic models. The rise of gold challenges the stereotypes of modern finance, proving that intelligence doesn't need to wear a suit or run a spreadsheet. She wears a saree, a salwar kameez, a smile and a glistening bangle from ancestral dreams.
Ultimately, Indian women are true alchemists who transform the metal wrought in the furnace of the earth into a legacy of resilience and foresight. To call his affinity for gold an obsession is to ignore its depth. They don't chase gold, gold tries to match their speed. Gold in their hands is not just money, but wisdom, not just tradition, but revolution. The greatest treasure is not in the metal they hold, but in the women themselves. His vision is a currency that no market can compete with. They are new social entrepreneurs who know how to survive and thrive without market manipulation, and make more money.