Women Investors Triple Gold ETF Holdings Amid Market Uncertainty

Women investors have dramatically increased their gold exchange-traded fund (ETF) allocation, nearly tripling their holdings to 16.4% in fiscal year 2026 from 6.4% a year prior.

This surge, detailed in the AMFI-Crisil Factbook 2026, signals a clear shift towards precious metals as essential hedging tools.

• Women investors’ gold ETF allocation in FY26: 16.4%
• Allocation a year prior: 6.4%
• Overall retail investor gold ETF assets in FY26: more than tripled to 14.9% from 4.6% in FY21
• Gold ETFs’ total share of passive fund AUM in March 2026: 12.5%
• Total gold ETF assets: Rs 1.71 lakh crore
• Five-year Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) for gold ETF AUM: 64.7%
• Net inflows into gold ETFs in FY26: Rs 0.69 lakh crore

The significant increase in gold ETF investments reflects heightened global uncertainty and sustained rallies in precious metal prices.

For the first time, gold and silver mutual funds have attracted more inflows than equity ETFs, underscoring their role in strategic diversification.

Silver ETFs See Parallel Surge

Beyond gold, silver ETFs also experienced remarkable growth, with assets increasing 4.2 times compared to March 2025.

This robust performance is driven by a sharp rise in silver prices, increasing industrial demand, and its established role as a safe-haven asset during volatile equity markets.

• Silver ETFs contributed nearly 27% of total net inflows into the ‘Other ETFs’ category in FY26.

The broader trend of women investors expanding their mutual fund portfolios is evident, with their total Assets Under Management (AUM) climbing to Rs 15.88 lakh crore in March 2026.

This represents substantial growth from Rs 5.84 lakh crore recorded in March 2021, according to the AMFI-Crisil Factbook 2026.