Gold scales new peak of Rs 1.4 lakh/10g in Delhi markets as global prices hit records
New Delhi (PTI): Gold prices stayed in ascending order for the second straight day, climbing Rs 2,650 to a fresh peak of Rs 1,40,850 per 10 grams in the national capital on Tuesday, tracking robust trends in the global markets, according to the All India Sarafa Association.
The precious metal of 99.9 per cent purity closed at Rs 1,38,200 per 10 grams on Monday.
So far this year, gold prices in the domestic market have jumped by Rs 61,900, or 78.40 per cent, from Rs 78,950 per 10 grams recorded on December 31, 2024.
Silver also rallied for the second consecutive day, surging Rs 2,750 to touch a record of Rs 2,17,250 per kilogram (inclusive of all taxes). In the previous session, the white metal settled at Rs 2,14,500 per kg after registering a sharp rise of Rs 10,400 per kg.
"An unprecedented rally continues in bullion, with spot gold nearing another milestone at the USD 4,500 mark.
"The latest round of rallies is driven by expectations that the Federal Reserve will deliver more than one rate cut in 2026, alongside rising geopolitical tensions that are strengthening the safe-haven appeal of gold and silver," Saumil Gandhi, Senior Analyst - Commodities at HDFC Securities, said.
During the calendar year, silver prices have added Rs 1,27,550, or 142.2 per cent, from Rs 89,700 per kilogram recorded on December 31, 2024.
On Tuesday, spot gold increased by USD 54.3, or 1.22 per cent, to hit a record of USD 4,498 per ounce in the international markets.
"Gold has extended its sharp rally to almost USD 4,500 per ounce on geopolitical jitters and weaker dollar as markets expect the Federal Reserve to cut rates more than two times next year," Praveen Singh, Research Analyst, Mirae Asset ShareKhan, said.
During the calendar year, spot gold prices have surged by USD 1,892.23, or 72.62 per cent, from USD 2,605.77 per ounce, recorded on December 31, 2024.
Meanwhile, spot silver rose 1.4 per cent to breach the USD 70-per-ounce mark for the first time in the overseas trade. So far this year, silver prices have soared by USD 41.03, or 141.62 per cent, from USD 28.97 per ounce, recorded on December 31, 2024.
"Investors will now turn their attention towards the second estimate of third-quarter US GDP data, which is due later in the day and might provide clues into the health of the US economy and the future course of Federal Reserve's monetary policy outlook," Renisha Chainani, Head - Research at Augmont, said.
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Texas halts H-1B visas at state universities, agencies; to affect Indians
Houston (US) (PTI): Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered state agencies and public universities to immediately halt new H-1B visa petitions, tightening hiring rules at taxpayer-funded institutions, a step likely to impact Indian professionals.
The freeze will remain in effect through May 2027.
The directive issued on Tuesday said that the state agencies and public universities must stop filing new petitions unless they receive written approval from the Texas Workforce Commission.
The governor's order, in a red state that is home to thousands of H-1B visa holders, comes as the Trump administration has initiated steps to reshape the visa programme.
“In light of recent reports of abuse in the federal H-1B visa programme, and amid the federal government’s ongoing review of that programme to ensure American jobs are going to American workers, I am directing all state agencies to immediately freeze new H-1B visa petitions as outlined in this letter,” Abbot said.
Institutions must also report on H-1B usage, including numbers, job roles, countries of origin, and visa expiry dates, the letter said.
US President Donald Trump on September 19 last year signed a proclamation ‘Restriction on entry of certain non-immigrant workers’ that restricted the entry into the US of those workers whose H-1B petitions are not accompanied or supplemented by a payment of USD 1,00,000.
The H1-B visa fee of USD 1,00,000 would be applicable only to new applicants, i.e. all new H-1B visa petitions submitted after September 21, including those for the FY2026 lottery.
Indians make up an estimated 71 per cent of all approved H-1B applications in recent years, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), with China in the second spot. The major fields include technology, engineering, medicine, and research.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is the second-highest beneficiary with 5,505 approved H-1B visas in 2025, after Amazon (10,044 workers on H-1B visas), according to the USCIS. Other top beneficiaries include Microsoft (5,189), Meta (5,123), Apple (4,202), Google (4,181), Deloitte (2,353), Infosys (2,004), Wipro (1,523) and Tech Mahindra Americas (951).
Texas public universities employ hundreds of foreign faculty and researchers, many from India, across engineering, healthcare, and technology fields.
Date from Open Doors -- a comprehensive information resource on international students and scholars studying or teaching at higher education institutions in the US -- for 2022-2023 showed 2,70,000 students from India embarked on graduate and undergraduate degrees in US universities, accounting for 25 per cent of the international student population in the US and 1.5 per cent of the total student population.
Indian students infuse roughly USD 10 billion annually into universities and related businesses across the country through tuition and other expenses – while also creating around 93,000 jobs, according to the Open Doors data.
Analysts warn the freeze could slow recruitment of highly skilled professionals, affecting academic research and innovation.
Supporters say the directive protects local jobs, while critics caution it could weaken Texas’ competitiveness in higher education and research.
The order comes amid broader debate in the US over skilled immigration and state-level interventions in federal programmes.
H-1B visas allow US companies to hire technically-skilled professionals that are not easily available in America. Initially granted for three years, these can be extended for another three years.
In September 2025, Trump had also signed an executive order ‘The Gold Card’, aimed at setting up a new visa pathway for those committed to supporting the United States; with individuals who can pay USD 1 million to the US Treasury, or USD 2 million if a corporation is sponsoring them, to get access to expedited visa treatment and a path to a Green Card.
