India, Nov. 29 -- For decades, gold loans occupied an unfair corner in India's financial imagination - a product taken only in distress, often discreetly and usually from the unorganised sector. That perception has changed decisively. Today, in Tier 2 and Tier 3 India especially, the gold loan has moved from the margins to the mainstream, emerging as one of the most trusted, efficient and productive forms of short-term credit.

This shift has been neither accidental nor sudden. It reflects years of formalisation, better pricing, transparent processes and a sharper recognition that gold is not merely an emotional asset but an economic one. As households and small businesses across 'Bharat' have stabilised their financial behaviour post-pan...