Bonds

Government securities (G-secs)

Long-dated Central government stock — a benchmark with market-price risk.

What it is

Marketable debt of the Central Government with maturities from 5 to 40 years, auctioned by RBI and held in your Retail Direct Gilt account. Coupon is paid half-yearly and principal returns at maturity.

Min ticket: Rs.10,000 face in primary auctions (varies by auction) · No demat — RBI/BLA account

How to buy it

Open a Retail Direct Gilt (RDG) account with RBI through the Retail Direct portal — no fees for scheme facilities.
Bid non-competitively in primary auctions, or buy and sell in the secondary market on NDS-OM (odd-lot and request-for-quotes segments).
Pay from your savings account via internet banking or UPI.

Costs

No RBI scheme fees
Price moves against you when yields rise — the cost is market risk, not a fee

Liquidity

NDS-OM odd-lot/RFQ on trading days; long-dated stock can still gap on thin counters.

Regulation

RBI auctions; CCIL operates NDS-OM trading and settlement.

Risks that bite

Price falls when interest rates rise (duration risk)
Reinvestment risk on coupons

Open RBI Retail Direct →

Tax FAQ

How is Government securities (G-secs) taxed?

Interest is taxed at your slab. Transfer or redemption gains follow the post-23-Jul-2024 rules: listed paper held over 12 months is LTCG at 12.5% without indexation, short-term gains join income at slab, and unlisted bonds are always deemed short-term under section 50AA.

Educational, not advisory — and never a quote. LetsInvest is a research publication, not a SEBI-registered investment adviser, and we run no bond-price or yield feed. YTM, ladder and tax outputs are illustrations of numbers you enter. Confirm anything that matters on RBI Retail Direct or the issuer's offer document before you act.

Sources

Reviewed 24 Sept 2026. Yields move — the RBI portal, CCIL and the tax department are the authority, and this hub links straight to them.

RBI - Retail Direct Scheme (press release 2021-2022/1183, 12 Nov 2021)RDG accounts; primary-auction non-competitive bids; NDS-OM odd-lot/RFQ secondary; UPI/internet-banking payments; no scheme fees.
CCIL - RBI NDS-OM (trading platform operated by CCIL on behalf of RBI)CCIL operates the NDS-OM trading and settlement stack behind Retail Direct secondary trades.
CBDT - FAQs on the new capital-gains regime (PIB, 24 Jul 2024, PRID 2036604)Two holding periods since 23 Jul 2024 (12 months listed, 24 months other); other-LTCG at 12.5% without indexation.
Income Tax Department - Tax on sale of debentures (as amended by Finance Act, 2026)Post-23-Jul-2024 holding table (listed debentures/G-secs: 12 months; unlisted: deemed STCG).
Income Tax Department - Section 50AA (special provision for specified securities)Unlisted bonds/debentures transferred, redeemed or matured on/after 23 Jul 2024 are deemed short-term.

How to buy it

Open a Retail Direct Gilt (RDG) account with RBI through the Retail Direct portal — no fees for scheme facilities.

Bid non-competitively in primary auctions, or buy and sell in the secondary market on NDS-OM (odd-lot and request-for-quotes segments).

Pay from your savings account via internet banking or UPI.

Tax FAQ

How is Government securities (G-secs) taxed?

Sources

Reviewed 24 Sept 2026. Yields move — the RBI portal, CCIL and the tax department are the authority, and this hub links straight to them.