As of Monday, February 23, 2026, gold and silver Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) in India have seen explosive gains, with some silver ETFs jumping as much as 17% in intraday trading.
This massive surge is the result of a “perfect storm” of geopolitical and economic triggers that have reignited safe-haven demand for precious metals.
The “Safe-Haven” Surge: Key Figures
The rally was led by silver-based instruments, which exhibited higher volatility than gold today.
| Asset Class | Top Performance (Feb 23, 2026) | Price / Unit Milestone |
| Silver ETFs | Groww Silver ETF jumped 17% | Intraday high of ₹28.22 |
| Silver Futures | MCX March Silver up 6% | Gained ₹15,200 to reach ₹2.68 Lakh/kg |
| Gold ETFs | Tata Gold ETF jumped 6% | Intraday high of ₹15.9 |
| Gold Futures | MCX April Gold up 2.4% | Gained ₹3,700 to reach ₹1,60,600/10g |
The Three Primary Triggers
1. Escalating US-Iran Tensions
The “fear index” in the Middle East has spiked. On Friday, February 20, the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier entered the Mediterranean Sea, signaling a major U.S. military build-up. President Donald Trump warned Iran that “bad things will happen” if a new nuclear deal is not reached within 10 days, leading to concerns of imminent military strikes.+1
2. The “Tariff Pivot” Shock
Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on Friday that struck down Trump’s previous sweeping tariffs as illegal, the President immediately counter-struck by:
- Imposing a 10% global tariff via executive order.
- Raising that tariff to 15% on Saturday, February 21, using the full legal ceiling of Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.The resulting global trade uncertainty has sent investors fleeing from riskier assets into bullion.+1
3. Removal of Margin Penalties
Locally, the MCX and NSE recently removed additional margins on gold (3%) and silver (7%) futures. This has significantly lowered the capital required to trade these metals, increasing liquidity and magnifying the price swings during this period of high volatility.
Retail Price Check (India)
In the physical market, prices have mirrored the digital surge:
- Gold (22-carat): Reached ₹14,860 per gram (approx. ₹1,18,880 per sovereign).
- Silver (Physical): Touched the ₹300 per gram (₹3,00,000 per kg) mark in major cities like Chennai and Mumbai.
Expert Take: “A balanced allocation of 10–15% for gold and 5–10% for silver is often suggested to hedge against inflation and manage overall portfolio risk during these turbulent times.” — Abhishek Bhilwaria, BhilwariaMF.
