Budget 2026: Gold Investors Seek Digital Shift, SGB Reintroduction

• Gold investors anticipate Budget 2026 to provide clarity and better alternatives to physical gold, which often lies idle in households.
• Industry experts advocate for mobilising household gold into digital and regulated products to support India's growth and Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
• Despite record high gold prices (Rs 1.62 lakh per tola), retail investors are shifting to small-ticket purchases or accumulating gold as a store of value.
• Physical gold presents challenges like storage costs, purity concerns, and limited liquidity, making digital and paper gold products more appealing.
• Mahendra Luniya, Chairman, Vighnharata Gold, suggests reintroducing Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) as a pro-investor move for efficient gold investment.

Why It Matters: Budget 2026 should encourage a shift from physical gold to safer, more liquid digital and paper gold products.