India's fondness for gold has neither benefited its economy nor generated decent returns for investors, BlackRock Founder and Chairman Larry Fink said in his annual letter to shareholders of the world's largest asset manager.
Nor has investing in gold helped the country's economy," Fink said.
The country's central bank, the Reserve Bank of India, purchased 4.7 tons of gold in February, taking its gold reserves to an all-time high of 817 tons, according to data from World Gold Council.
Kavita Chacko, research head of India at World Gold Council, however, said recent record highs in gold prices could hurt demand for the precious metal in India.
Indians' love for gold aside, the country's stock markets have been one of the biggest gainers in the Asia-Pacific region with major institutional investors positive on Indian stocks that have hit record highs multiple times this year.
Persons:
Larry Fink, " Fink, Fink, Kavita Chacko, Chacko, — CNBC's Lee Ying Shan
Organizations:
BlackRock, Reserve Bank of India, World Gold, World Gold Council
Locations:
India, American, Asia, Pacific