FLO Bangalore, under the leadership of Chairperson Ms. Dekyi Yangtso Chawla, in collaboration with the World Gold Council, hosted an insightful session on Gold, in alignment with FLO’s national initiatives on financial literacy and women’s economic empowerment.
The session featured esteemed speakers, Mr. John Reade, Senior Market Strategist (UK) at World Gold Council, Ms. Sheela Kulkarni, Head of Market Development (India) & Institutional Investor Relations at World Gold Council, and Mr. Abhishek Nag, Senior Fund Manager & Strategy Head – Early Stage VC at 360 ONE Wealth.
Their expertise gave members a deeper perspective on gold’s enduring legacy as a store of value and its strategic relevance in modern-day portfolios.
Key Insights
- Performance: Gold delivered exceptional YTD returns in 2025—41.3% globally and 44% in India—establishing itself as one of the strongest performing asset classes.
- Portfolio Advantage: Allocating 7.5–15% of gold in INR portfolios improves risk-adjusted returns and reduces drawdowns, underlining its diversification benefit.
- Evolving Demand:
o Jewellery demand has moderated.
o Bar & coin purchases are at their highest since 2013.
o ETF inflows remain steady.
o Central banks continue diversifying reserves into gold.
- Supply Dynamics: Gold production remains stable, while recycling has shown muted response to price surges, ensuring balanced markets.
- Strategic Role: Gold acts as a hedge against inflation, currency volatility, and geopolitical risks.
Key Takeaways for Members
- Gold remains a critical asset class for both wealth preservation and portfolio diversification.
- In volatile times, gold offers protection and stability, balancing risks in traditional equity and debt-heavy portfolios.
- The evolving digital ecosystem of gold (ETFs, digital gold) provides investors with accessible and transparent avenues for participation.
- Women investors, particularly in India, stand to benefit by leveraging gold not just as jewellery but as a structured financial asset.
Impact & Outcome
Around 200 attendees participated in this informative session about Gold investments. The session reinforced the importance of informed financial decisions, highlighting gold’s enduring
relevance across generations.
This discussion empowered members to view gold not just as tradition, but as a core, future-ready investment strategy, while staying aligned with FLO’s national vision of driving financial literacy and women’s empowerment.