After touching all-time high in January, a sharp fall in the prices of gold and silver was recorded on 13 February 2026. Multi Commodity Exchange of India On MCX, silver fell by nearly 9.84% to close at ₹2,37,136 per kg, while gold fell by more than 4% to ₹1,52,300 per 10 grams. The policies of the US Federal Reserve, increasing geopolitical tensions and global inflation data are considered to be the important reasons behind this sharp correction. Strong dollar and profit booking also increased the pressure. Experts say that at present the market is quite volatile, hence investors should avoid haste and adopt a cautious strategy.

Investors will invest money where they get returns and this trend is now clearly visible in gold after equity. For the first time, inflows into Gold ETFs have been more than equity. According to AMFI data, inflows into gold ETFs increased by 106% in January, while inflows into equity mutual funds declined. Market volatility, geo-political tensions and safe-haven demand have strengthened gold. In the last 1 year, Gold ETFs have given around 75% returns, which has further increased the confidence of investors.

Increasing volatility in the share market has changed the strategy of mutual fund investors. Money is continuously flowing out of Equity Mutual Funds and SIP Stoppage Ratio reached around 85% in December. According to AMFI, the net inflow of Equity MF decreased to ₹ 28,054 crore. Investors are stopping SIP due to weak market, inflation, EMI pressure, medical expenses and job insecurity. Many investors moved out of equities and increased their investments in metal assets like Gold, Silver and Copper, leading to a rise of more than 211% in the Gold ETF. In such an environment, Flexi Cap Mutual Funds attracted attention, where a record inflow of ₹ 10,019 crore was recorded. Better performance of Large Cap Stocks and Flexible Strategy increased the confidence of investors.

Amid market uncertainty, the approach of Indian investors is now clear – disciplined investing instead of taking big risks all at once. In 2025, mutual fund SIP investments crossed the milestone of ₹3 trillion for the first time, which is a strong signal of structural change in investor mindset.

In volatile markets, SIP investors get the benefit of rupee cost averaging and risk averaging, while hesitation has increased regarding lump-sum investments. Data shows that SIP contribution in active equity funds is continuously increasing. SIP-based AUM has now become a major part of the total AUM of the mutual fund industry. SIP is not an investment option but has become a wealth habit of India.