Gold loans near 10% of leading NBFCs’ loan books as lenders pivot to secured credit
Gold loans accounted for nearly 10% of the four lenders’ combined loan books, up from 9.3% in the June quarter and 6.23% a year earlier. Industry data showed that bank gold loans grew 83% year on year to Rs 5.6 lakh crore in August 2026, while NBFC gold loans increased 69% to Rs 3.6 lakh crore
IIFL Finance led with Rs 65,729 crore in gold loans, accounting for nearly 53% of its AUM. Bajaj Finance’s gold loan AUM rose 105% year on year to Rs 24,195 crore, outpacing overall loan growth. Piramal Finance flagged that 15% to 23% of industry gold loan disbursements went to borrowers already over 90 days overdue on another loan. A sustained fall in gold prices could weaken collateral cover, underscoring the need for prudent lending and borrower assessment.
Gold loans are emerging as a major growth driver for non-banking financial companies ( NBFCs ), with their share of the combined loan books of Bajaj Finance , HDB Financial Services , L&T Finance and IIFL Finance approaching 10% in the September 2026 quarter. Their combined gold loan portfolio nearly doubled year on year to about Rs 1 lakh crore, as lenders expanded secured lending amid stress in unsecured credit and microfinance. The rapid expansion is also bringing emerging signs of borrower stress into focus. 23% a year earlier. 6 lakh crore.
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