When it comes to investing, Mehta recommends going digital. "A lot of people think buying gold means buying jewellery — but ETFs and fund of funds are far better options," he says.

Physical gold incurs GST, making charges, and higher retail markups. On the other hand, gold ETFs (like GoldBees) and silver ETFs (like SilverBees) offer lower entry points and greater liquidity, points out Mehta. For silver, given its higher volatility, he recommends a staggered approach to investing.

Both ETFs and fund of funds track gold and silver, but the difference lies in taxation. ETFs are taxed at 12.5% after one year. Fund of funds attract the same tax after 24 months. "Go for ETFs if you're looking for liquidity and better tax efficiency," says Mehta.

Gold and silver also bring diversification benefits. "They have a negative correlation with the Nifty," says Mehta. In bad market years, gold has historically gone up. For instance, in 2008, Nifty fell 35% while gold gained 26.8%. Allocate 10–15% of your portfolio to commodities like gold and silver, advises Mehta.