Gold ETF vs Sovereign Gold Bond vs Gold mutual fund
India offers three regulated paper-gold investment instruments: Gold ETFs (exchange-traded funds backed by physical gold), Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) (government-issued bonds denominated in grams of gold), and Gold Mutual Funds (fund-of-fund schemes investing in gold ETFs). Each tracks the domestic price of 24-carat gold but differs in structure, cost, taxation, and liquidity.
Physical gold (jewellery, coins, bars) is excluded from this comparison.
Instrument overview
Gold ETF
A Gold ETF is an exchange-traded fund that holds physical gold (minimum 99.5% purity) as the underlying asset. Each unit of a Gold ETF typically represents 1 gram (or 0.01 gram for some fund-specific units) of gold. Gold ETFs are SEBI-regulated mutual fund schemes listed on NSE and BSE. A demat account is required. AMFI-registered AMCs offering Gold ETFs include Nippon India, HDFC, SBI, Axis, Kotak, UTI, and ICICI Prudential, among others.
Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB)
SGBs are issued by the Government of India on behalf of the RBI under the Government Securities Act, 2006. Each SGB unit is denominated in grams of gold (minimum 1 gram; maximum 4 kg per individual per financial year). SGBs are listed on exchanges but have low secondary market liquidity. The bond matures after 8 years, with an option for early redemption at RBI-specified prices in the 5th, 6th, and 7th year.
SGBs carry an additional 2.5% per annum interest payment (on the issue price) payable semi-annually. The SGB scheme was suspended by the government in mid-2024 (no new tranches issued); existing bonds continue to trade and mature.
Gold mutual fund (fund of fund)
Gold mutual funds (e.g., SBI Gold Fund, Nippon India Gold Savings Fund) are fund-of-fund (FoF) schemes that invest their corpus in the corresponding AMC’s Gold ETF units. They do not hold physical gold directly. A demat account is not required; investment is via SIP or lump sum through AMC portals or platforms like Groww and Kuvera. This makes gold mutual funds accessible to investors without a demat account.
Return structure
All three instruments track the domestic price of gold (spot price of 24-carat gold in rupees per gram, as quoted on MCX). Returns for Gold ETF and Gold MF are purely price-return, capital appreciation or depreciation relative to the purchase price. SGBs generate both price return and a 2.5% per annum coupon.
Domestic gold prices are influenced by international spot prices (denominated in USD per troy ounce), USD/INR exchange rate, import duty on gold (currently 15% as of 2024), and domestic supply/demand factors.
Taxation (post-2023 regime)
| Tax dimension | Gold ETF | Sovereign Gold Bond | Gold mutual fund (FoF) |
|---|---|---|---|
| STCG (< 12 months) | Slab rate (Section 50AA, debt/commodity treatment) | Slab rate | Slab rate |
| LTCG (12–36 months for Gold ETF pre-Budget 2024) | Prior to July 2024: 20% with indexation | Not applicable (see below) | Slab rate |
| Post-July 2024 Finance Act | 12.5% without indexation for Gold ETF held > 24 months | Not applicable | Same as Gold ETF, 12.5% after 24 months |
| SGB maturity after 8 years | Not applicable | Capital gains at maturity exempt under Section 47(viic) | Not applicable |
| SGB early redemption (year 5-7) | Not applicable | Capital gains taxable (LTCG at 12.5% if held > 12 months post-July 2024) | Not applicable |
| SGB coupon income (2.5% p.a.) | Not applicable | Taxable at slab rate | Not applicable |
| Gold MF holding period for LTCG | 24 months (post-July 2024) | Not applicable | 24 months |
The SGB’s full exemption on maturity gains (after 8 years) under Section 47(viic) of the Income Tax Act is its most significant tax advantage over Gold ETFs and Gold mutual funds. For investors who can hold for the full 8-year tenor, the SGB’s return includes 2.5% p.a. coupon (taxable at slab) plus capital appreciation (fully tax-free at maturity).
Cost comparison
| Instrument | Annual cost |
|---|---|
| Gold ETF | TER: 0.50%–0.79% per annum; brokerage and STT on each transaction |
| SGB | Nil (no management fee; coupon of 2.5% p.a. is received, not charged) |
| Gold mutual fund (FoF) | FoF TER (0.10%–0.15%) + underlying Gold ETF TER; total ~0.60%–0.90% |
SGBs carry no management fee. The 2.5% coupon is an income received by the investor. Gold ETFs carry TER charged to the fund, reducing NAV growth relative to gold price movements.
Liquidity
| Dimension | Gold ETF | SGB | Gold MF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exit mechanism | Stock exchange (NSE/BSE) during trading hours | RBI buy-back window (year 5, 6, 7) or secondary market | Mutual fund redemption at T+1 |
| Secondary market depth | Reasonable for major Gold ETFs (e.g., Nippon India ETF Gold, HDFC Gold ETF) | Low; wide bid-ask spreads | Not applicable |
| Demat required | Yes | No (held in demat or certificate form; SGBs can also be in demat) | No |
| Premature exit before maturity | Yes; exchange sale any business day | Secondary market at discount; early redemption at RBI price only in year 5-7 | Yes; T+1 redemption |
SGB secondary market liquidity on exchanges is notably thin. Investors wishing to exit before year 5 may face significant price discounts relative to NAV. Gold ETFs and Gold mutual funds offer higher liquidity for early exit.
Storage and counterparty risk
Gold ETFs hold physical gold in bank vaults under SEBI-mandated custodian arrangements. The investor does not hold physical metal; the ETF custodian holds gold bars in dematerialised form. SGBs are sovereign obligations, the counterparty is the Government of India, which carries no default risk. Gold mutual funds (FoFs) hold Gold ETF units, layering the same custodial infrastructure.
Physical gold storage risks (theft, storage fees, making charges) are eliminated in all three instruments.
Summary comparison table
| Dimension | Gold ETF | SGB | Gold MF (FoF) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instrument type | Exchange-traded fund | Government bond | Fund-of-fund |
| Regulator | SEBI | RBI / Ministry of Finance | SEBI |
| Demat required | Yes | Optional | No |
| Annual cost | 0.50%–0.79% TER | Nil | 0.60%–0.90% total |
| Coupon / yield | Nil | 2.5% p.a. (taxable) | Nil |
| Liquidity | High (exchange-traded) | Low secondary market; RBI window year 5-7 | High (T+1 redemption) |
| Tax on capital gains at exit | 12.5% after 24 months (post-July 2024) | Exempt at 8-year maturity; taxable at slab/12.5% on premature exit | 12.5% after 24 months |
| Tax on coupon | Not applicable | Slab rate | Not applicable |
| Best suited to | Investors with demat account; medium-term gold exposure | Long-term holders (8 years); income from coupon + tax-free maturity | Investors without demat; SIP-based gold allocation |
See also
- How to buy SGB on secondary market (Kite)
- How to redeem SGB at maturity
- How to redeem SGB early
- Zerodha SGB
- Zerodha ETF
- Mutual fund
- Capital gains tax in India
References
- RBI, Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme, 2015 (and subsequent annual tranches).
- Income Tax Act, 1961, Section 47(viic) (SGB maturity gain exemption).
- Finance (No.2) Act 2024, Revised gold ETF holding period (24 months) and LTCG rate (12.5%).
- SEBI (Mutual Funds) Regulations, 1996, Gold ETF and FoF structure.
- AMFI, Gold ETF TER disclosures, amfiindia.com.
- Finance Act 2023, Section 50AA, debt/commodity fund taxation.