1. It was a glittering Dhanteras with the gold rush continuing at retail stores despite yellow metal prices hitting another new high. Jewellers extended attractive offers, including protection against price increase, to boost buyer sentiment and make them put money on the table this Dhanteras and Diwali.
2. Leading wholesale jewellers stopped accepting fresh orders for silver ornaments and other items amid a huge shortage and subsequent premiums being levied on the supply of physical metal. On the other hand, silver faces a supply shortage globally, with a couple of government mints, such as the Canadian Royal Mint and Australia’s Perth Mint, stopping sales of products made with the white precious metal.
3. The Indian Food Ministry has estimated India’s gross sugar production for the current season, which began on October 1, at 34 million tonne (mt), which is lower than the nearly 35 mt estimated by the industry body, the Indian Sugar and Bio-energy Manufacturers Association.
4. India’s cotton output for the 2025-26 season starting October is likely to be between 312 and 335 lakh bales of 170 kg each, despite a dip in area and feares of excess rain hurting production in some regions.
5. Rice procurement in the first fortnight of October has more than doubled to over 48 lakh tonnes (lt) worth ₹17,240 crore, which officials said was mainly due to early harvesting in Punjab and Haryana.
Published on October 19, 2025
