According to the report, the current US and the Euro zone crisis will keep the gold prices bullish and they are likely to reach $2,000 an ounce in another 3-4 months

Gold prices are likely to touch $2,000 by March, driven by the global economic crisis, while gold imports may reach 1,000 tonne, a seniorSocotiaMocatta official on Thursday said.

"Investor demand has compensated the decline in the jewellery consumption. The rising gold prices, which has boosted the investors appetite, may result in close to 1,000 tonne imports of the yellow metal," Rajan Venkatesh, managing director, India bullion, SocotiaMocatta, a part of the Bank of Nova Scotia, said on the sidelines of FICCI 'Gems and Jewellery Conference'.

The current US and the Euro zone crisis, he said, will keep the gold pricesbullish and they are likely to reach $2,000 an ounce in another 3-4 months. "People are losing faith in cash as load of the US currency can be printed," he said.

The gold prices today in India ruled at Rs28,500 per 10 grams, while it was $1,695.90 an ounce in the global markets.

On silver, Venkatesh said, the imports will be slightly lower than last year's 3,030 tonnes due to the rise in prices.

"Silver business is not that significant (by volume)... a couple of months ago it was very good when prices had tapered off," he said.

The demand will improve if the silver prices come down to Rs40,000-Rs45,000 a kg, he said. Silver prices today stood at Rs56,250 per kg here and in the global markets it was at $31.88 an ounce.