RBI's new silver loan scheme: What's changing?
The RBI is rolling out a fresh lending option—now you can get loans against your silver jewelry or coins, since October 1, 2025.
The goal? To make it easier for households and small traders to access quick cash using assets they already have, not just gold.
How does a silver loan work?
You can pledge eligible silver items (not bullion) to regulated lenders for short-term money.
There are limits on how much you can borrow—up to 85% of the value for smaller loans, with caps lowering as amounts go up.
But you can't use these loans to buy more gold or silver.
Why is this a big deal—and what's tricky about it?
Silver loans could be a lifeline in emergencies or when cash is tight, especially if you don't have enough gold lying around.
But lending against silver isn't as simple: purity is harder to verify, prices jump around more than gold, and cleaning old silver eats into its value.
Still, this move could help people rely less on just gold and give banks more options—if the rollout goes smoothly.