Silver delivered a stellar performance in 2025, with prices soaring more than 150% over the year. The metal began 2025 at around Rs 81,000 per kg and climbed steadily to end the year near Rs 2,06,000 per kg.
The momentum has carried into early 2026 as well, with strong buying interest continuing in the market.
After such sharp gains, silver has increasingly caught the attention of investors. Here’s a look at the different ways you can invest in silver in 2026.
Ways to invest in silver
If you’re considering adding silver to your portfolio, these are the main options available:
1. Silver ETFs
Silver exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are among the simplest and most popular ways to invest in silver. These funds track the price of physical silver and are listed on stock exchanges.
In India, several mutual fund houses offer silver ETFs. Investors need a trading and demat account to buy or sell ETF units during market hours, just like shares. On settlement, the units are credited to your demat account, and proceeds from sales are credited to your bank or trading account.
Popular silver ETFs in India include:
Nippon India Silver ETF, ICICI Prudential Silver ETF, HDFC Silver ETF, SBI Silver ETF, Kotak Silver ETF, Aditya Birla Sun Life Silver ETF, DSP Silver ETF, Tata Silver ETF, UTI Silver ETF, Axis Silver ETF, Edelweiss Silver ETF, Mirae Asset Silver ETF, Zerodha Silver ETF, Motilal Oswal Silver ETF, Groww Silver ETF and 360 ONE Silver ETF.
While investing in silver ETFs, investors should track the indicative NAV (iNAV) and avoid buying at a steep premium. Liquidity can also vary across schemes.
2. Silver mutual funds (FoFs)
Silver ETFs do not offer a SIP facility. For investors who prefer systematic investments, silver ETF fund-of-funds (FoFs) — commonly referred to as silver mutual funds — are a suitable alternative.
These schemes invest in units of a silver ETF and allow investors to start SIPs, just like any other mutual fund. Transactions happen at NAV through the fund house, eliminating concerns around exchange liquidity or premiums.
Silver mutual fund options in India include:
ICICI Prudential Silver ETF FoF, Nippon India Silver ETF FoF, HDFC Silver ETF FoF, SBI Silver ETF FoF, Aditya Birla Sun Life Silver ETF FoF, Axis Silver FoF, DSP Silver ETF FoF, Tata Silver ETF FoF, Kotak Silver ETF FoF, UTI Silver ETF FoF, Zerodha Silver ETF FoF and Groww Silver ETF FoF.
3. Physical silver
Investors can also buy physical silver in the form of coins, bars, biscuits, jewellery, utensils or idols. However, physical silver involves making charges, storage concerns and often insurance costs, given its bulk and value.
For investors focused purely on price appreciation, ETFs or mutual funds are generally more efficient than holding physical silver.
4. Digital silver
Digital silver offers another paperless way to invest. Platforms such as MMTC-PAMP, Augmont, eBullion, DigiGold, Shriram Finance, MyDigiSilver and others allow investors to buy silver online, with the underlying metal stored securely in vaults.
Minimum investment amounts are low — sometimes as little as ₹100. Investors can track holdings online and sell instantly without any lock-in period.
5. Silver futures
Silver futures are traded on commodity exchanges such as the MCX. These are leveraged instruments that allow large exposure with a relatively small margin, making them highly risky. Sharp price movements can result in significant gains or losses, making futures more suitable for experienced traders than long-term retail investors.
Investing In Silver
Experts remain more bullish on silver, citing its dual role as both a precious and an industrial metal, which gives it greater upside potential. Demand for silver is rising across electric vehicles, solar panels and emerging technologies, prompting many analysts to expect it to outperform gold in percentage terms in 2026, particularly in the first half of the year.
Investments in silver are generally best made in a calibrated and phased manner. While a well-timed strategic lump-sum investment can also be considered when market conditions are favourable, investors must be mindful of the higher risks involved. Overall, gold is expected to provide stability and safety in 2026, while silver could deliver superior returns, albeit with greater volatility. Investors are advised to allocate between the two metals in line with their risk appetite and investment objectives.
