Silver loan banks India now include public sector banks, private sector banks and eligible Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) under the banking regulator’s unified framework for loans against precious metals. Borrowers can pledge eligible silver ornaments and specified silver coins, subject to prescribed purity standards, collateral limits, applicable loan-to-value (LTV) norms and each lender’s internal policies.

A suitcase lands in Mumbai carrying a Dubai-bought bangle, and a question lands with it. The imported gold hallmark position in India runs on one distinction: jewellery brought in for personal wear needs no BIS hallmark to sit in a locker, while any piece headed for sale must carry one, since India's mandatory hallmarking regime covers all gold jewellery sold in the country, imported or not. Between those two poles sits the pledge, where lenders assess purity themselves but a hallmark smooths everything. This guide covers who the rules touch, from NRIs and returning travellers to traders, the customs allowance under the new Baggage Rules, the step-by-step hallmarking process at an Indian centre, the purity grades BIS accepts, why a foreign stamp does not count, and what all of it means at a gold loan counter.

Indian households sit on a staggering quantity of gold, upwards of 25,000 tonnes by some industry estimates, and for generations the only way to add to it was a visit to a jeweller. The history of digital gold in India is the story of that habit meeting a smartphone. In under a decade, buying gold went from a counter transaction to a two-tap purchase of ₹10, and then ran into the hard questions every fast-growing product eventually faces about regulation and trust. This guide walks the full digital gold timeline: the fintech launch years of 2018 and 2019, the pandemic surge, the regulatory turn from 2022, the consolidation that followed, and where the market stands in 2026, closing with how digital gold compares against its regulated cousins and where a gold loan sits for households holding physical metal.

Starting a café has become an increasingly popular business idea across India. Demand for coffee-focused social spaces, casual dining venues, remote working hubs, and neighbourhood gathering spots has expanded beyond metropolitan cities into many Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets. For aspiring entrepreneurs, this presents opportunities to build a business around changing consumer preferences and local community engagement.

India's annual domestic gold production has generally remained around 1.5-2 tonnes in recent years, while overall demand has been several hundred tonnes annually according to industry estimates. As a result, a significant portion of the country's gold requirement is met through imports. Known gold-bearing regions exist in states such as Karnataka, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand, although commercial production remains limited due to geological, economic, regulatory, and operational considerations.

India's gold loan regulations do not prescribe a statutory cooling-off period for gold loans obtained through a branch. This differs from jurisdictions such as the United Kingdom, where many credit agreements carry a statutory cancellation right. An Indian borrower who signs a gold loan agreement at a branch and subsequently changes their mind generally does not have a penalty-free withdrawal right under law. However, separate provisions under the RBI Digital Lending Directions may apply to eligible digitally sourced loans. In practice, borrowers seeking to discontinue a gold loan after disbursement generally do so through loan closure by repaying the outstanding principal, accrued interest, and any contractual charges applicable under the loan agreement. Upon completion of repayment and closure formalities, the pledged gold is released in accordance with applicable regulatory and operational requirements. The RBI (Digital Lending) Directions, 2025 require regulated entities to provide a board-approved cooling-off mechanism for eligible digital loans, while the RBI (Lending Against Gold and Silver Collateral) Directions, 2025 do not create a statutory cooling-off period for branch-based gold loans.

Gold jewellery is often purchased with the expectation that its purity matches what is stated at the time of sale. However, understanding how purity is verified can be challenging because several organisations and processes are involved in testing, hallmarking and certification. Questions frequently arise about hallmark marks, fineness numbers, HUID verification and the role played by regulators in maintaining quality standards.

Bulls and bears are dynamic forces that are responsible for the ups and downs in the financial markets. As an investor, you must know how to identify them.

A comprehensive health cover to all family members, a family floater plan provides cheaper premiums, tax benefits and hassle-free claims.

Mutual funds have proved to be good wealth creating vehicles in the last many years. Let us look at some key benefits of investing in mutual funds from an investor’s perspective.