Indian households, together the world’s largest hoarders of gold, hold a record 23,000-24,000 tonnes of the prea record 23,000-24,000 tonnes of the precious metal, worth at least $800 billion, despite a sharp fall in international prices from their peaks in 2011, according to a comprehensive study of the Indian market by the London-headquartered World Gold Council (WGC).

The country’s gold demand has been shaken a tad after demonetisation, as some customers feared a crackdown on gold holding as well, but long-term prospects remain bright with demand expected to average at 850-950 per annum by 2020, the WGC said.