Categories: Business

India’s Silver Imports Soar To USD 9.2 Billion, GTRI Warns On Supply Risks And Industrial Dependence

India’s silver imports surged to USD 9.2 billion in 2025 amid rising prices. Heavy import dependence and limited domestic processing raise strategic risks, prompting calls to expand refining, recycling, and secure overseas sources.

Add NewsX As A Trusted Source
Add as a preferred
source on Google
Published by Aishwarya Samant
Published: January 7, 2026 13:49:45 IST

India’s Silver Imports Surge Amid Price Rally

India’s silver imports surged to an estimated USD 9.2 billion in 2025, marking a 44% increase from the previous year despite a sharp rise in global prices. Silver prices in India nearly tripled in rupee terms during the year, climbing from around Rs 80,000–85,000 per kg at the beginning of 2025 to over Rs 2.43 lakh per kg by early January 2026. The rally is attributed to a combination of geopolitical tensions, investor demand, and strong industrial consumption.

Silver Shifts From Precious Metal To Strategic Industrial Input

Globally, silver has undergone a transformation from a traditional precious metal to a critical industrial input. More than half of global silver demand is now industrial, driven by electronics, solar power, electric vehicles, defence applications, and medical technologies. Solar energy alone accounts for roughly 15% of global silver consumption, a share that continues to rise as renewable capacity expands. Global trade in refined silver has expanded nearly eight-fold since 2000, reaching over USD 31 billion in 2024, while persistent supply deficits of 200–250 million ounces per year have emerged as mine output remains largely flat.

Strategic Risks And Policy Imperatives for India

India accounted for about 21.4% of global refined silver imports in 2024, making it the single largest importer. Unlike China, which dominates global silver processing by importing ores and concentrates and exporting higher-value manufactured products, India largely imports finished silver in bars and rods. In FY2025, India exported less than USD 500 million worth of silver products while importing over USD 4.8 billion, highlighting its heavy import dependence.

The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) warns that growing global supply risks, including China’s new licence-based silver export regime and opaque trade flows, could heighten India’s strategic vulnerability. GTRI recommends treating silver as a critical industrial and energy-transition metal, expanding domestic refining and recycling capacity, securing overseas mining partnerships, and diversifying import sources. Without such measures, India’s long-term industrial and clean-energy ambitions could be constrained.

(This article has been syndicated from ANI, edited for clarity)

Recent Posts

Lucknow Horror: Vardhman Pathology Owner Shot Dead With Rifle by 19-Year-Old Son, Body Chopped Up and Stuffed in Blue Drum at Home

A shocking crime has rocked Lucknow after a 19-year-old allegedly shot his father, the owner…

February 23, 2026

Nani’s The Paradise Aaya Sher Promo Drops, Fans Go Crazy As Full Song Releasing On Actor’s Birthday

The makers of Nani’s upcoming film The Paradise released the promo of its first song…

February 23, 2026

Night Flight Ban, No Buses At Terminal: 500 Passengers Stranded Overnight On Planes At Munich Airport Amid Heavy Snow, Staff Go Home Amid Nightmare

Around 500 passengers were stranded overnight on grounded planes at Munich Airport after heavy snowfall…

February 23, 2026