NBFC GUIDE · GOLD LOANS

Gold loan NBFCs and RBI’s 2025 gold and silver directions

What the Lending Against Gold and Silver Collateral Directions, 2025 require, and the reconciliations and internal audit checks that show a gold loan NBFC is complying in practice.

By Regi Tom Antony, FCA, MBA (Australia), ACMA (UK), CGMA (USA), CISA (USA) · Former Group CFO/COO (OSRAM/Siemens, Westcon Group) · Published 4 November 2026

IN SHORT

RBI’s Reserve Bank of India (Lending Against Gold and Silver Collateral) Directions, 2025, issued on 6 June 2025 with compliance due by 1 April 2026, cap loan-to-value at 85% for loans up to ₹2.5 lakh, 80% above ₹2.5 lakh up to ₹5 lakh and 75% above ₹5 lakh, limit bullet repayment loans to 12 months, value collateral on IBJA or exchange prices, require gold to be returned within seven working days of repayment with ₹5,000 a day compensation for lender delays, and set auction rules.

01 · THE RULES

What the 2025 directions require

AREAREQUIREMENT
Loan-to-value (consumption loans)85% up to ₹2.5 lakh; 80% above ₹2.5 lakh up to ₹5 lakh; 75% above ₹5 lakh, per borrower, maintained through the tenor
Bullet repayment loansTenor up to 12 months, renewable subject to the renewal conditions
ValuationLower of the 30-day average closing price and the previous day’s closing price for the purity, from IBJA or a SEBI-regulated commodity exchange; only the metal’s intrinsic value counts, not stones
Credit assessmentRequired where total gold and silver loans to a borrower exceed ₹2.5 lakh
Weight limits per borrowerOrnaments: 1 kg gold, 10 kg silver; coins: 50 g gold, 500 g silver
Return of collateralSame day, and no later than seven working days after full repayment; ₹5,000 per day compensation for delays attributable to the lender
Loss or damageLender compensates the borrower and bears repair costs
AuctionsNotice to borrower, announcement in a regional and a national newspaper, reserve price at least 90% of current value (85% after two failed auctions), first auction physical in the same district, no bidding by the lender or related parties, surplus refunded within seven working days
ProhibitedLoans against primary gold or silver; re-pledging collateral

The directions apply to all NBFCs, including housing finance companies. Loans sanctioned before a lender adopted them continue under the earlier rules. RBI has amended these directions since issue, so check the current text on the RBI website.

02 · IN THE BOOKS

Reconciliations every gold loan NBFC needs

  1. Packet to loan system: every gold packet in the vault matches a live loan in the loan management system, and every live loan has a packet.
  2. Weight and purity: gross and net weight and purity in the appraisal record match the loan system and the packet label.
  3. LTV by borrower: loans are aggregated per borrower, valued on the prescribed price basis, and tested against the 85/80/75% caps through the tenor, not only at sanction.
  4. Loan system to general ledger and bank: principal, interest and charges tie to the control ledgers and bank books.
  5. Closures and returns: closed loans show gold returned within seven working days, with any compensation accounted for.
  6. Auctions: auction proceeds, costs and surplus refunds tie to the loan, the bank and the books.

This is the first of our three reconciliation streams for NBFCs. See NBFC reconciliation.

03 · INTERNAL AUDIT

What a head office internal audit should test

  • LTV monitoring reports and the action taken on breaches as gold prices move
  • Valuation price source and date used in the loan system
  • Renewal and top-up of bullet loans against the 12-month limit
  • Borrower-level weight limits and credit assessment above ₹2.5 lakh
  • Closure-to-return timelines and compensation paid
  • Auction notices, newspaper announcements, reserve prices and bidder checks
  • Board-approved gold loan policy updated for the 2025 directions
Branch-level vault counts need people on the ground. We focus on the head office, where the policies, system parameters, exception reports and reconciliations show whether every branch is following the rules.
QUESTIONS

Frequently asked questions

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What is the LTV limit for gold loans by NBFCs in 2026?

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Under RBI’s Lending Against Gold and Silver Collateral Directions, 2025, the loan-to-value cap for consumption loans is 85% for loans up to ₹2.5 lakh, 80% above ₹2.5 lakh up to ₹5 lakh, and 75% above ₹5 lakh, per borrower, and it must be maintained through the loan tenor.
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When did the RBI gold loan directions come into force?

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The directions were issued on 6 June 2025, and lenders had to comply as early as possible and no later than 1 April 2026. Loans sanctioned before a lender adopted them continue under the earlier rules.
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What is the maximum tenor of a bullet repayment gold loan?

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Bullet repayment gold loans can have a tenor of up to 12 months, renewable subject to the renewal conditions in the directions.
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How quickly must an NBFC return pledged gold?

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The NBFC must return the gold on the day of full repayment and no later than seven working days afterwards. For delays attributable to the lender, it must pay the borrower ₹5,000 for each day of delay.
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How is pledged gold valued under the 2025 directions?

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Gold is valued at the lower of the 30-day average closing price and the previous day’s closing price for the relevant purity, published by IBJA or a SEBI-regulated commodity exchange. Only the intrinsic metal value is counted, not stones or gems.
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What reconciliations should a gold loan NBFC perform?

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A gold loan NBFC should reconcile vault packets to live loans, weight and purity records to the loan system, borrower-level LTV against the caps, the loan system to the general ledger and bank, closures to gold returned, and auction proceeds and surplus refunds to the books.

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Regi Tom Antony & Associates is a firm of Chartered Accountants in Kochi, Kerala, practising since 1997. We act as virtual and fractional CFO to growing businesses in India, the GCC and overseas, and advise on NRI taxation and FEMA, SME IPOs, India entry for foreign companies, tax structuring, and family office and succession planning, alongside audit, tax and compliance.