'Gold Not An Investment': Zoho's Sridhar Vembu Eyes 'A Big Warning Signal' After Bull Run

With gold prices showing no signs of slowing down, Zoho Corporation's Co-founder and CEO, Sridhar Vembu, has issued a warning sign for investors, stating that debt levels have gone too high.

Reacting to an op-ed from former IMF First Deputy Managing Director, Gita Gopinath, Vembu added that he doesn't see gold as an investment but rather as insurance.

"Gold is also flashing a big warning signal. I don't think of gold as an investment, I think of it as insurance against systemic financial risk. Ultimately finance is all about trust and when debt levels reach this high, trust breaks down," he posted on X.

Vembu's post comes at a time when gold has witnessed an unprecedented and record-breaking rally.

Friday marked the fifth consecutive session of gains for gold in international markets, with prices up 1.23% at $4,379.93. The rally has been visible across global markets.

In India, ahead of Diwali, domestic gold prices surged to a record Rs 1,32,953 per 10 grams. Year-to-date, gold has rallied nearly 70%, as compared to a feeble 8% return from the benchmark NSE Nifty 50 index.

The surge in the pricing of the yellow metal has been fuelled by a combination of geopolitical risk, central bank buying, de-dollarisation trends, and robust ETF inflows.

The current macroeconomic environment, marked by low interest rates, has further strengthened the case for non-yielding assets like bullion.

In his post, Vembu also quipped about artificial intelligence, joking that AI will 'work hard to repay all debt in the system'.

In a conversation with NDTV Profit last week, Vembu had issued a warning sign on the trillion dollar AI bubble, arguing that India must focus on building silicon if they are to compete globally.