According to the report Gold Derivatives – Deepening the Market and the Road Ahead in India, average daily open interest in gold derivatives stands at 43 tonnes, indicating sustained participation and longer-term interest in the market. The physical deliveries through the exchange mechanism also demonstrate the link between the financial market and the underlying physical gold ecosystem.
Gold options drive recent trading activity
The market has also seen a sharp expansion in options. For FY2025-26, gold futures recorded average daily turnover of ₹28,484 crore, while gold options registered average daily notional turnover of ₹1.94 lakh crore. Average daily options volume reached 156 tonnes, compared with 23 tonnes for futures.
The figures underline the growing importance of options alongside futures in India’s organised gold market, giving participants additional instruments to manage exposure to price movements.
Key numbers at a glance
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Average daily turnover | Over ₹2.2 lakh crore |
| Average daily open interest | 43 tonnes |
| Physical gold delivered through exchanges since 2003 | Around 175 tonnes |
| FY2025-26 gold futures average daily turnover | ₹28,484 crore |
| FY2025-26 gold options average daily notional turnover | ₹1.94 lakh crore |
| FY2025-26 gold options average daily volume | 156 tonnes |
| FY2025-26 gold futures average daily volume | 23 tonnes |
| Gold demand in India in 2024 | 563 tonnes |
| Estimated gold held by Indian households | Around 30,000 tonnes |
| RBI gold reserves (March 2025) | Around 880 tonnes |
Sources: Gold Derivatives – Deepening the Market and the Road Ahead in India and Gold Derivatives Note.
Derivatives help businesses manage price risk
One of the biggest benefits of the derivatives market is price-risk management. Importers, bullion traders, jewellers and refiners can use futures and options to hedge against fluctuations in gold prices. Inventory hedging can provide greater certainty over cash flows, reduce inventory-related costs and improve planning across procurement, production, storage and marketing.
The report notes that hedging can be particularly important for smaller jewellers, where sharp movements in gold prices can put pressure on costs, margins and business continuity.
MCX strengthens India’s price-discovery role
The market is also increasingly contributing to domestic price discovery. MCX prices are being used as an India-specific reference by market participants, while Indian gold futures have the potential to play a larger role in regional price discovery given the country’s established trade links with South Asia and the Gulf region.
India builds domestic gold-market standards
The development of India Good Delivery standards is another step towards building gold-market infrastructure suited to domestic participants. Such standards can strengthen the connection between Indian refiners, physical gold and organised exchanges while reducing reliance on international benchmarks.
Wider institutional participation remains key
The reports argue that the next phase of development will require deeper liquidity and wider institutional participation. While access has progressively expanded to mutual funds, AIFs, portfolio managers and FPIs, restrictions remain, including on banks and FPIs participating in gold futures and options.
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