Young Indians Turn Inherited Gold into Cash for Homes, Education and Business

As domestic gold prices surged past Rs 160,000 per 10 grams, Indian households are increasingly liquidating idle jewellery. In Mumbai, a young couple converted heirloom bangles and a bridal necklace into roughly Rs 20 lakh, strengthening their down-payment and trimming monthly home-loan costs for a property in Navi Mumbai. A Bengaluru family of three generations sold similar assets, generating close to Rs 80 lakh that financed a master's program in the United States and launched a new food-processing business.

Executives such as Keyur Shah of Muthoot Exim and Rajiv Popley of the Popley Group note that younger buyers are treating gold as a financial tool, opting for cash, bars or coins instead of keeping heavy, outdated designs. Analysts report a 33 % year-on-year rise in gold prices in FY 2025 and a 60 % jump in FY 2026, prompting a shift from jewellery demand to bars and coins. While the domestic jewellery market is expected to grow about 15 % in value, volume sales are projected to fall as recycling and exchange programmes expand.