Gold Loan Shock: RBI Tightens Rules Amid Soaring Metal Prices

Fresh RBI amendments restrict speculative borrowing but open relief for small loans

How often have families used gold ornaments to raise quick cash for weddings or hospital bills? For decades, lenders welcomed these pledges with little question. Now that trend is under sharper watch. 

In September 2025, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced new rules for gold and silver lending after a sharp 30 percent rise in gold-backed loans between September 2024 and February 2025, as reported by Reuters. The move signals a balance between risk control and relief for small borrowers.

Fresh RBI Action On Gold Lending

The new amendment called the Lending Against Gold and Silver Directions (1st Amendment), 2025 took effect on 30 September 2025. It clearly bans banks and non-bank lenders from giving loans for buying gold in any form, including coins, jewellery or financial assets backed by gold.

At the same time, RBI released draft rules for public comment to ease lending for micro and small borrowers. Gold loans up to ₹2.5 lakh may get a higher loan-to-value ratio (LTV) of 85 percent compared with the existing 75 percent cap. The draft also removes mandatory credit appraisal for these small loans.

These moves aim to stop misuse of funds while allowing relief for businesses that use gold or silver as raw material.
 

The table shows how RBI is tightening control on speculative lending but leaving space for small firms that work with gold and silver.

What Do These Rules Mean?

Gold loans are loans secured by ornaments or jewellery. The lender keeps the gold as collateral. If the borrower fails to repay, the lender can auction the asset. Loan-to-value is the percentage of the gold’s value that can be borrowed. For example, if the ornament is worth ₹1,00,000 and the LTV is 75 percent, the borrower can receive ₹75,000.

The RBI has kept this basic structure but blocked advances for buying gold itself. It has also reduced the chance of the same collateral being pledged multiple times. Paragraph 12 of the amendment makes it clear that gold or silver bars cannot be pledged at all.

The change also reflects stress in the sector. According to an IAS Gyan current affairs report in July 2025, non-performing assets in gold loans increased by 28.58 percent within a year, touching ₹6,824 crore compared with ₹5,307 crore earlier.
 

The figures underline why the regulator is stepping in. Lending against gold is growing fast, but asset quality is weakening.

Impact Of RBI New Rules For Small Business Loans In India

For micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the new rules are a mixed bag. Businesses above the ₹2.5 lakh mark will still face full appraisal and the same 75 percent LTV. But very small firms may enjoy quicker access to credit.

The Economic Times reported in June 2025 that the waiver of appraisal will cut paperwork for tiny businesses in rural and semi-urban areas. This helps shopkeepers and artisans who often depend on pledged ornaments to raise capital.
 

The table shows how the revised RBI regulations for business and gold loans are trying to strike a balance.

Gold-Backed Lending Guidelines Updated By RBI

The April 2025 Reuters report had already warned of weak monitoring and misuse in gold lending. RBI has now tightened oversight by forcing banks to document end-use of funds. Lenders must keep evidence of how the money is used.

The 2012 and 2013 RBI circulars on gold loans have also been merged into the annex of the new directions. This historical link proves that the regulator is building on past efforts to curb unhealthy practices.
 

The evolution shows a slow tightening across more than a decade, with limited relaxation only for very small borrowers.

Impact Of RBI Gold Lending Expansion On Small Businesses

The immediate impact will be on small lenders and non-banking finance companies. They will face higher compliance costs. Banks will need to track end-use of funds more closely. Small borrowers may get confused in the transition period. Farmers in Tamil Nadu already protested in February 2025, fearing reduced access to gold loans.

At the same time, the expansion of LTV to 85 percent for loans up to ₹2.5 lakh may increase liquidity for small enterprises. This is expected to help rural markets and urban vendors alike.
 

The impact is two-sided. Growth may slow for lenders, but stability is expected to improve for the financial system.

Revised RBI Regulations For Business And Gold Loans

This is not the first time the RBI has shifted its stance on gold-backed lending. During the pandemic, in April 2020, the central bank permitted an LTV (loan-to-value) of up to 90 percent for gold loans to inject liquidity into the system. In April 2024, RBI reversed course, directing banks to cap the tenure of gold loans at 12 months and to ensure interest is charged monthly. That earlier set of rules was covered in detail in the financial press.

The September 2025 amendment signals another pivot: it pulls back some of the pandemic-era relief, tightens oversight of gold-based lending, and increases monitoring. 

As LoansJagat reports in “8 Important Changes in RBI’s Gold Loan Rules You Shouldn’t Miss”, the new draft framework requires stricter norms around LTV, the prohibition of re-pledging, enforcing periodic repayment, and end-use checks. (loansjagat.com)

This swing in regulatory tone reflects how RBI adapts policy to evolving economic conditions, supporting liquidity when needed, and reining it in when risks mount.

Conclusion

The Lending Against Gold and Silver Directions (1st Amendment), 2025 shows RBI’s intent to keep speculation in check while not closing doors for small borrowers. 

By raising the LTV for small loans but banning advances for buying gold, the central bank is drawing a careful line. For lenders, it means more compliance. For borrowers, it promises safer but slightly stricter credit. For the economy, it signals stability.
 

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