Gold guide

Digital gold, without the gloss

Fractional gold from a platform, stored by the seller. Useful for very small amounts — and structurally different from every SEBI-regulated route on this hub. The providers below are listed on what they publish, with the gaps named rather than filled.

Compare with ETF and fund Should this be your route?

The regulatory position, stated plainly

SEBI issued a public caution in November 2025 stating that digital gold is not offered through SEBI-regulated gold products, and neither RBI nor SEBI regulates it under a dedicated framework. As of September 2026 the government is reported to be considering RBI/SEBI oversight with a 1:1 physical-backing requirement — but no official framework has been notified, so that remains reported, not fact.

Sources: SEBI — press release 70/2025, "Caution to public regarding dealing in 'Digital Gold'" (8 Nov 2025) · updates log.

Mechanics

How it works

Buy in fractions — some platforms start at a few rupees.
The seller states it holds an equivalent quantity of gold on your behalf.
You sell back to the same platform, or ask for physical delivery if it offers that.

Costs to expect

A gap between the platform's buy and sell price is the usual cost.
Storage charges and making/delivery charges where the platform levies them.
GST treatment depends on how the platform structures the sale — check the invoice.

Risks, unsoftened

SEBI issued a public caution in Nov 2025 that digital gold is not offered through SEBI-regulated gold products.
Counterparty and custody risk: your holding depends on the seller actually holding the gold, on its terms.
It is not a SEBI-regulated security, so the protections that apply to ETFs and funds do not apply here.
Reported (Sep 2026): the government is weighing 1:1 physical-backing rules with RBI/SEBI oversight. Nothing has been notified yet.

Providers

SafeGold vs Augmont, on their own published facts

Each row below was read from the provider's own pages on 22 Sep 2026 — purity, trustee and vault, buy–sell spread, GST, storage, delivery and sell-back — with the source linked under every card. Neither provider publishes its own numeric buy–sell spread: SafeGold states 2–5% only as a market-typical range, Augmont's terms confirm a spread exists but give no number. MMTC-PAMP is not listed: its page publishes purity, trustee, vaults and a 72-hour sell cooling period but no minimum ticket, spread number or storage-fee schedule, so a side-by-side row would mislead.

2 results

Provider name, A to Z — no ranking; compare custody and cost rows.

Augmont

Augmont Goldtech — 24K 999 digital gold from ₹10, in-house refinery, trustee-monitored vaults

Provider: Augmont Goldtech Pvt Ltd (Augmont)
Purity: 24K, 999 purity — refined in-house at Augmont Goldtech, BIS-certified, LBMA-compliant refinery
Minimum ticket: ₹10
Trustee / custody: Independent trustee monitors the vaults; bullion stored with a custodian vault on behalf of the customer
Vault: Insured, audited vaults monitored by an independent trustee; custodian stores bullion in designated vaults by default
Insurance: Vault gold fully insured; cost of bullion insurance borne by Augmont
Buy–sell spread: Buy/sell prices quoted with a spread that moves with volatility, supply and market factors — provider publishes NO numeric spread
GST: Buy and sell prices quoted EXCLUSIVE of GST; Augmont raises e-invoices for bullion sold
Storage: Custodian vault storage by default; provider publishes no storage-fee schedule on the pages read
Delivery: Insured delivery of coins/bars, or exchange for jewellery at affiliated stores
Sell-back: Sell back to Augmont only after 48 hours; proceeds in 1–3 working days; no extra sell charge — buy-back price as displayed
KYC: KYC / PAN validation applies per Indian law (KYC consent, PAN validation referenced in terms)
Dormancy / account closure: Account closes only after selling all gold/silver back to Augmont at the market rate

Static-verified · 22 Sept 2026Figures read from the provider's own pages, verified 22 Sept 2026 · Not SEBI/RBI-regulated — no dedicated digital-gold framework (provider FAQ + SEBI press release 70/2025).

SafeGold

Digital Gold India Pvt Ltd — 24K gold from ₹10, Brink's vaults, Vistra trustee

Provider: Digital Gold India Pvt Ltd (SafeGold)
Purity: 24K, 99.99% pure gold
Minimum ticket: ₹10
Trustee / custody: Vistra acts as independent security trustee; customer bullion stored with a custodian vault keeper, minimum 99.5% purity bars allocated per order
Vault: Brink's vaults — bank-grade, 24×7 monitored, fully insured
Insurance: Vault keeper insures per global industry practice (fire, lightning, theft, cyclone, earthquake, flood); war/revolution-type events not covered
Buy–sell spread: Embedded in the price, not charged separately; provider states a 2–5% TYPICAL MARKET range across platforms, not its own number — no numeric SafeGold spread is published
GST: 3% GST on purchase (buy price includes GST; GST does not apply on sell)
Storage: Free storage for the first five years; thereafter nominal ~0.3–0.4% p.a. — check latest fee terms; post-free-period charges may be deducted from metal balance
Delivery: Coins and bars delivered anywhere in India; jewellery exchange at Tanishq and CaratLane
Sell-back: Sell back at the live price, proceeds to bank account; PAN/KYC mandatory to sell or take delivery
KYC: PAN verification mandatory once cumulative purchases exceed ₹500, and to sell or request delivery
Dormancy / account closure: Account with no transaction for 24 months is a dormant customer account

Static-verified · 22 Sept 2026Figures read from the provider's own pages, verified 22 Sept 2026 · Not SEBI/RBI-regulated — no dedicated digital-gold framework (provider terms + SEBI press release 70/2025).

No numeric buy–sell spread is published by either provider, so compare the round trip yourself: check the live buy and sell prices on the provider's page before you commit, and remember GST applies on entry. Neither provider is SEBI/RBI-regulated under a dedicated framework.

Due diligence

Verify before you buy

Use this checklist for any provider — including MMTC-PAMP, which is not listed above until its charges and storage facts are verifiable from its own pages.

Who holds the metal, and how do you know?

Ask for evidence of 1:1 physical backing — vaulted where, audited by whom, published how often. Your holding depends entirely on the seller actually holding the gold on its stated terms.

What is the all-in round trip?

The platform's buy price versus its sell price is the usual cost, plus any storage, making or delivery charges. GST treatment depends on how the platform structures the sale — check the invoice, not the marketing page.

How do you exit?

Only the platform you bought from buys it back, at its own price. Check lock-ins, storage-period limits after which charges start, minimum delivery sizes, and delivery fees before assuming you can convert small balances to metal.

What protection applies if the platform fails?

None of the securities-market protections that cover ETFs and funds: no exchange, no depository, no regulated vault manager. Size any holding accordingly.

FAQs

Digital-gold questions

Is digital gold regulated in India?

Not as a securities product. SEBI issued a public caution in November 2025 stating that digital gold is not offered through SEBI-regulated gold products, and neither RBI nor SEBI regulates it under a dedicated framework. As of September 2026, the government is reported to be considering RBI/SEBI oversight with a 1:1 physical-backing requirement, but no official framework has been notified. Physical gold, gold ETFs, gold funds and EGRs each have their own, different framework.

Gold ETF or gold mutual fund — what is the difference?

Both give gold exposure without metal in hand. A gold ETF is a listed scheme whose units you buy on the exchange in a demat account; its price can drift from NAV when the scheme is thinly traded. A gold mutual fund is an unlisted fund of fund that you buy and redeem at NAV, which is what makes a monthly SIP straightforward — but it carries its own expense ratio on top of the underlying ETF's. Neither is better in the abstract; the trade-off is demat-plus-exchange execution against SIP convenience and a second layer of cost.

Framework facts reviewed 2026-09-20; per-provider rows verified 2026-09-22 from each provider's own pages (source linked under every card). This is not a recommendation to buy or avoid digital gold — it is the structure you are buying into, so you can price the counterparty risk yourself. See our methodology.