Question : Demand of Gold

(a) whether the demand for gold in the country has fallen during the last first, second, fourth quarters of the financial year 2017-18 and if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the imports of gold during the period have declined upto 50 per cent therefor and if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether steady decrease in gold investment has affected the stock market of the country and if so, the details thereof; and
(d) the details of proposal of the Government to raise the demand and sale of gold thus reserve holdings therein?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
(SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

(a) & (b) The demand of gold in the country in 2017-18 has increased during first and second quarters and declined in third and fourth quarters as compared to corresponding period in 2016-17. The overall import of gold in 2017-18 has increased by 22.43% as compared with imports in 2016-17. The quarterly data of gold import in 2016-17 and 2017-18 are as under:-

(Quantity in Tonnes)
2016-17 2017-18
1st Quarter (Apr-Jun) 117.05 317.16
2nd Quarter (Jul-Sep) 102.71 165.91
3rd Quarter (Oct-Dec) 280.09 269.48
4th Quarter (Jan-Mar) 280.29 202.62
Total 780.14 955.16
Source: DGCI&S

(c) No such information is available.

(d) There is no such proposal.

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