These gold ETFs have delivered up to 63% returns in one year amid price rally

Gold exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have delivered strong returns over the past year, with top-performing schemes generating gains of up to nearly 63%, as a surge in gold prices and heightened geopolitical uncertainty boosted investor demand, according to data compiled by ICRA Analytics.

An analysis of the top 10 gold ETFs shows that one-year returns largely cluster in the 60–63% range, while three-year compounded annual growth rates (CAGR) hover around 33%, and five-year returns are close to 26%, indicating consistent performance across time horizons.

Among the best performers, Aditya Birla Sun Life Gold ETF topped the chart with a one-year return of 62.85%, followed closely by HDFC Gold ETF at 62.59% and UTI Gold ETF at 61.60%.

Other major schemes, including ICICI Prudential Gold ETF, Kotak Gold ETF, and Axis Gold ETF, also delivered returns exceeding 60% over the past year.

Top 10 best-performing gold ETFs (as of March 31)

Scheme name	NAV	1-year return (%)	3-year CAGR (%)	5-year CAGR (%)
Axis Gold ETF	122.07	60.33	33.98	26.03
ICICI Prudential Gold ETF	125.36	60.65	33.74	26.08
Mirae Asset Gold ETF	142.28	60.33	33.69	—
Kotak Gold ETF	122.18	60.45	33.63	26
UTI Gold ETF	122.17	61.6	33.51	25.91
Quantum Gold Fund – Growth	121.31	60.24	33.47	25.98
Invesco India Gold ETF	12,701.59	60.02	33.45	26.06
Nippon India ETF Gold BeES	121.18	60.18	33.41	25.78
Aditya Birla Sun Life Gold ETF	128.19	62.85	33.35	25.93
HDFC Gold ETF	124.59	62.59	33.34	25.83

(Source: MFI360Explorer; data as of March 31)

The strong performance comes alongside a sharp expansion in the category.

Gold ETF assets under management nearly tripled year-on-year to ₹1.71 lakh crore in March 2026, while net inflows turned sharply positive compared to outflows a year ago.

“Gold ETFs have seen a clear rise in preference during the recent phase of heightened geopolitical volatility and sharp gold price appreciation, as investors have used them as a defensive and tactical allocation,” said Ashwini Kumar, Senior Vice President and Head – Market Data at ICRA Analytics.

Despite some moderation in inflows in recent months due to short-term corrections in gold prices, investor interest has remained resilient, with flows staying positive.

Analysts note that gold ETFs continue to play a key role in portfolio diversification, offering a more efficient and transparent alternative to holding physical gold.