The price of gold has increased by almost thirty-five percent across the globe over the last year. As a result, previously abandoned gold mines, which were once seen as financially unviable, have been re-opened. An example of this can be seen at the southern Indian state of Karnataka, where companies are re-opening gold mines as even low grade ore becomes valuable. India is currently the largest consumer of gold globally; however, the majority of this demand is currently met by import. Commentators question whether this trend will continue as more and more abandoned mines are re-opened.