Bullet Repayment Option for Gold Loans up to ₹1 Lakh
Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/342 · issued 05 Mar 2010 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI now allows state and district co-operative banks to offer bullet repayment for gold loans up to ₹1 lakh, with interest accrued at monthly rests but payable only at maturity within 12 months. Banks must set board-approved policies and maintain prescribed margins.
The rule, in the simplest words
Co-operative banks can now let borrowers pay back a gold loan up to ₹1 lakh (one lakh rupees) all at once at the end, instead of paying every month.
Interest on the loan is added to the account each month, but the borrower only pays it together with the loan amount after 12 months (one year) at the latest.
The bank must set a rule about how much extra value the gold must have compared to the loan, to protect against price drops or interest piling up.
If the gold's value falls too low compared to the loan before the 12 months are up, the loan becomes a bad loan (NPA) right away.
This special pay-later option is only for gold loans up to ₹1 lakh and not for crop loans, which follow different rules.
How it plays out — a real example
A gold-loan officer in a district co-operative bank in rural Maharashtra explains to a farmer that she can now take a ₹50,000 gold loan and repay the entire amount plus interest after 12 months, instead of paying monthly. The officer carefully checks the gold's value and sets a margin so that even if gold prices dip, the loan stays safe from becoming a bad loan before maturity.
What changed
Previously, interest on gold loans for non-agricultural purposes had to be serviced monthly. Now, co-operative banks can offer a bullet repayment option where principal and accumulated interest are paid together at the end of the loan tenure, up to ₹1 lakh and 12 months.
What it means for you
This gives co-operative banks a new product to attract borrowers who prefer lump-sum repayment, potentially increasing gold loan portfolios. However, banks must carefully manage margin requirements and NPA classification, as loans can become sub-standard if margins dip before maturity.
What you must do
Get board approval for a gold loan policy with bullet repayment option, adhering to the ₹1 lakh cap and 12-month tenure.
Set minimum margin requirements considering gold price volatility and accrued interest to avoid early NPA classification.
Ensure income recognition and asset classification norms are applied once principal or interest becomes overdue.
Train staff to differentiate bullet repayment gold loans from crop loans, which continue under existing norms.
Who it affects
State and District Central Co-operative Banks, Gold loan borrowers seeking bullet repayment, Bank board members approving loan policies
❓ Common questions
Can we offer bullet repayment for gold loans above ₹1 lakh?
No, the circular explicitly limits bullet repayment gold loans to a maximum of ₹1 lakh at any point in time.
How is interest treated under bullet repayment?
Interest is charged at monthly rests but becomes due only at the end of 12 months, along with principal repayment.
What happens if the gold margin drops before maturity?
The loan must be classified as NPA (sub-standard category) even before the due date if the prescribed margin is not maintained.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2009-10/342
RPCD.CO.RF.BC.No.60/07.37.02/2009-10
March 5, 2010
All State and District Central Co-operative Banks
Dear Sir,
Repayment of Gold Loan
State and Central Co-operative Banks grant loans for various purposes against the security of gold /gold ornaments as part of their lending policy. As per extant instructions (c.f. our circular RPCD.RF.BC.No.69/07.37.02/2002-03 dated January 31, 2003), banks charge interest at monthly rests on loans and advances granted for purposes other than agricultural and allied activities.
2. On a review, it has been decided to permit bullet repayment of gold loans up to Rupees one lakh as an additional option. State and Central Co-operative Banks are, therefore, permitted to lay down policies with the approval of their Board for sanction of gold loan with bullet repayment option subject to the following guidelines:
The amount of gold loan sanctioned should not exceed Rs. 1.00 lakh at any point of time.
The period of loan shall not exceed 12 months from the date of sanction.
Interest will be charged to the account at monthly rests, but will become due for payment along with repayment of principal only at the end of 12 months from the date of sanction.
The bank should prescribe a minimum margin to be maintained in case of such loans and accordingly, fix the loan limit taking into account the market value of the security (gold / gold ornament), expected price fluctuations, interest that will accrue during the tenure of the loan, etc.
Such loans shall be governed by the extant income recognition, asset classification and provisioning norms which shall be applicable once the principal and interest become overdue.
The account would also be classified as NPA (sub standard category) even before the due date of repayment, if the prescribed margin is not maintained.
3. It is clarified that crop loans sanctioned against the collateral security of gold/gold ornaments shall continue to be governed by the extant income recognition, asset classification and provisioning norms for such loans.
Yours faithfully,
(R.C.Sarangi)
Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/342 · issued 05 Mar 2010. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Set minimum margin requirements considering gold price volatility and accrued interest to avoid early NPA classification.
Ensure income recognition and asset classification norms are applied once principal or interest becomes overdue.
📜 Compliance
Get board approval for a gold loan policy with bullet repayment option, adhering to the ₹1 lakh cap and 12-month tenure.
Train staff to differentiate bullet repayment gold loans from crop loans, which continue under existing norms.
Grouped from the action items above — a single circular may involve more than one team.
Worked example & action-note template
Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (State and District Central Co-operative Banks, Gold loan borrowers seeking bullet repayment, Bank board members approving loan policies), your first concrete step on “Bullet Repayment Option for Gold Loans up to ₹1 Lakh” is: “Get board approval for a gold loan policy with bullet repayment option, adhering to the ₹1 lakh cap and 12-month tenure.” (RBI issued this 05 Mar 2010).
Circular: RBI/2009-10/342 -- Bullet Repayment Option for Gold Loans up to ₹1 Lakh
Issued: 05 Mar 2010
Action required: Get board approval for a gold loan policy with bullet repayment option, adhering to the ₹1 lakh cap and 12-month tenure.
Action required: Set minimum margin requirements considering gold price volatility and accrued interest to avoid early NPA classification.
Action required: Ensure income recognition and asset classification norms are applied once principal or interest becomes overdue.
Action required: Train staff to differentiate bullet repayment gold loans from crop loans, which continue under existing norms.
Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
Built only from this circular’s own published fields — not legal advice; always confirm against the official RBI source.
💬 Banker Discussion
Discuss this circular with fellow bankers — reply, upvote what helps, report what doesn’t belong. Be professional; no client data. Views are the commenter’s own, not BankPulse’s.
BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 03 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly). Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=5528&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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