India · 1947 to today
How much has India's cost of living changed?
Gold, silver, and petrol — tracked from the day India got its independence.
All commodities — % gain from start of period
Annual data · Cards show year-on-year change
Key Historical Events
Moments that moved prices
1991
India pledged its gold
Facing bankruptcy, India secretly airlifted 67 tonnes of gold to Switzerland and pledged it to the IMF for a $600M loan. Gold jumped 25% that year.
Gold: ₹3,466 that year1973
The oil shock that changed everything
OPEC's embargo sent shockwaves through India. Petrol tripled in 18 months. Queues formed at pumps. The biggest single price shock in Indian petrol history.
Petrol: ₹1.06 → ₹1.80 in one year2020
COVID locked India down. Gold went wild.
Lockdowns crashed petrol demand. Meanwhile, fear drove gold from ₹40,000 to ₹56,000 in a single year — the biggest surge in India's recorded history.
Gold: +40% in 2020 alonePersonal Time Machine
Enter your birth year to see commodity prices when you were born
Decade Snapshots
Post-Independence India begins its economic journey
Gold
₹88.62/10g
Silver
N/A
Oil
27p/L
USD/INR
₹4.76/USD
OPEC oil embargo shakes global markets
Gold
₹278.5/10g
Silver
₹32/kg
Oil
₹1.06/L
USD/INR
₹7.74/USD
Iranian Revolution drives second oil crisis
Gold
₹1,330/10g
Silver
₹2,200/kg
Oil
₹3.47/L
USD/INR
₹7.86/USD
India pledges gold to IMF, liberalizes economy
Gold
₹3,466/10g
Silver
₹1,587/kg
Oil
₹9.50/L
USD/INR
₹22.74/USD
Global financial crisis drives safe-haven demand
Gold
₹12,500/10g
Silver
₹7,000/kg
Oil
₹50.62/L
USD/INR
₹43.51/USD
Gold reaches all-time peak
Gold
₹26,400/10g
Silver
₹51,000/kg
Oil
₹63.37/L
USD/INR
₹46.67/USD
COVID-19 pandemic disrupts global economy
Gold
₹48,651/10g
Silver
₹63,000/kg
Oil
₹71/L
USD/INR
₹74.10/USD
US-Iran War drives fresh surge in global oil and gold prices
Gold
₹1,56,660/10g
Silver
₹2,85,000/kg
Oil
₹98.64/L
USD/INR
₹95.70/USD
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