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E-Gold Vs Gold ETFs- Which is a Better Option?
E-Gold Vs Gold ETFs? Which is a better Gold Investment option? Which avenue has a higher yield? These are some of the common questions often asked by an investor wanting to invest in these non-physical form of gold. Well, both the forms are unique in trading with each having its own benefits in essential parameters like returns, taxation, holding period, etc. Therefore, we will see how both- Gold ETFs and E-Gold differ from each other and which form makes a better gold investment option!
E- Gold
E-Gold is a unique gold investment product launched by the National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL). This product enables investors to Buy Gold in an electronic form on the NSE’s trading platform and the gold bought by you will reflect in your Demat account.
E-Gold is one such investment that allows investors to buy gold in a smaller denomination, such as 1gm, 2gm, 3gm, etc. The gold units that you would buy here will be credited to your Demat account in T+2 days. Similarly, for instance, if you have sold today, the same will debited from your Demat account in 2 days (from the date of sale).
E-gold is less expensive compared to gold ETFs as the latter is exposed to various charges like asset management fees, security service fees, etc. To know the current value of your investment in gold ETFs, you have to track the NAV of that fund but in the case of e-gold, the value is that of the prevailing gold price.
Gold ETFs
Gold ETFs has become one of the most popular modes of gold investments. Gold ETFs are also the Underlying of open-ended Gold Mutual Funds that help you to invest your money in gold. The underlying gold purity is 99.5%. Gold ETFs are also known as paper gold. These are listed and traded on major stock exchanges and investors are assigned units where each unit usually represents one gram of gold.
In gold ETFs, investors can trade in their existing Demat account. Gold ETFs offers investors a secure way to access the gold Market. They also provide the benefit of liquidity as it can be traded at any time during the trading period.
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E-Gold Vs Gold ETFs: Know the Key Differences
Trading Time
Gold ETFs can be traded only between 9:00 am to 3:30 pm on weekdays. Whereas, e-gold can be traded from 10:00 am to 11:30 pm on weekdays.
Conversion to Physical Form
Both the forms can be converted into physical gold, but the minimum quantity for each varies. The minimum quantity for e-gold is 8 grams, while, in gold-ETF, one can convert only when it exceeds a certain size of 500gm to 1Kg.
E-Gold is the Most Cost
Efficient form and is able to trace gold prices more closely than gold ETFs. However, e-gold loses out to gold ETFs when it comes to taxation.
But, now, when you know the key difference between these two forms, invest in an avenue that offers secure investment with better returns!
| Parameters | Gold ETFs | E-Gold |
|---|---|---|
| Separate Demat Account | No | Yes |
| Holdings | Owned by AMCs | Yes |
| Conversion to Physical Gold | Minimum 0.5-1 kg | Investors directly hold gold units in demat account |
| Short Term Capital Gains | Less than 1 year- 20% tax on returns | Less than 3 years- 20% tax on returns |
| Long Term Capital Gains | After 1 year- 10% tax returns | After 3 years- 10% tax on returns |
| Recurring Expenses | 0.40% | 1% |
| Returns | Highest at it's the most cost-effective | Slightly lower than gold ETF |
| Pricing | Linked to International Gold Price | Linked to Indian Gold Price |
| Convert to Jewelry | Not available | Available with selected Jewellers |
Best Gold ETFs to Invest 2025
Some of the best underlying Gold ETFs to Invest are as follows:
The investment objective of the scheme is to generate returns by investing in units of Kotak Gold Exchange Traded Fund. Kotak Gold Fund is a Gold - Gold fund was launched on 25 Mar 11. It is a fund with Moderately High risk and has given a Below is the key information for Kotak Gold Fund Returns up to 1 year are on To seek capital appreciation by investing in units of HDFC Gold Exchange Traded Fund (HGETF). HDFC Gold Fund is a Gold - Gold fund was launched on 24 Oct 11. It is a fund with Moderately High risk and has given a Below is the key information for HDFC Gold Fund Returns up to 1 year are on The investment objective of the Scheme is to seek to provide returns that closely correspond to returns provided by Reliance ETF Gold BeES. Nippon India Gold Savings Fund is a Gold - Gold fund was launched on 7 Mar 11. It is a fund with Moderately High risk and has given a Below is the key information for Nippon India Gold Savings Fund Returns up to 1 year are on The investment objective of the Scheme will be to generate returns that correspond closely to the returns generated by IDBI Gold Exchange Traded Fund (IDBI GOLD ETF). IDBI Gold Fund is a Gold - Gold fund was launched on 14 Aug 12. It is a fund with Moderately High risk and has given a Below is the key information for IDBI Gold Fund Returns up to 1 year are on To generate returns that closely correspond to returns generated by Axis Gold ETF. Axis Gold Fund is a Gold - Gold fund was launched on 20 Oct 11. It is a fund with Moderately High risk and has given a Below is the key information for Axis Gold Fund Returns up to 1 year are on 1. Kotak Gold Fund
CAGR/Annualized return of 9.2% since its launch. Return for 2024 was 18.9% , 2023 was 13.9% and 2022 was 11.7% . Kotak Gold Fund
Growth Launch Date 25 Mar 11 NAV (19 Feb 25) ₹33.8294 ↑ 0.39 (1.17 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹2,520 on 31 Jan 25 Category Gold - Gold AMC Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Co Ltd Rating ☆ Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 0.5 Sharpe Ratio 1.39 Information Ratio 0 Alpha Ratio 0 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 1,000 Exit Load 0-6 Months (2%),6-12 Months (1%),12 Months and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 31 Jan 20 ₹10,000 31 Jan 21 ₹11,953 31 Jan 22 ₹11,511 31 Jan 23 ₹13,465 31 Jan 24 ₹14,639 31 Jan 25 ₹18,957 Returns for Kotak Gold Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 19 Feb 25 Duration Returns 1 Month 8.9% 3 Month 14.1% 6 Month 20.3% 1 Year 38.1% 3 Year 18.6% 5 Year 14.7% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 9.2% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2023 18.9% 2022 13.9% 2021 11.7% 2020 -4.7% 2019 26.6% 2018 24.1% 2017 7.3% 2016 2.5% 2015 10.2% 2014 -8.4% Fund Manager information for Kotak Gold Fund
Name Since Tenure Abhishek Bisen 25 Mar 11 13.87 Yr. Jeetu Sonar 1 Oct 22 2.34 Yr. Data below for Kotak Gold Fund as on 31 Jan 25
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 2.37% Other 97.63% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity Kotak Gold ETF
- | -100% ₹2,281 Cr 353,465,799
↑ 7,247,949 Triparty Repo
CBLO/Reverse Repo | -1% ₹14 Cr Net Current Assets/(Liabilities)
Net Current Assets | -0% -₹4 Cr 2. HDFC Gold Fund
CAGR/Annualized return of 7.5% since its launch. Return for 2024 was 18.9% , 2023 was 14.1% and 2022 was 12.7% . HDFC Gold Fund
Growth Launch Date 24 Oct 11 NAV (19 Feb 25) ₹26.2578 ↑ 0.26 (0.98 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹3,060 on 31 Jan 25 Category Gold - Gold AMC HDFC Asset Management Company Limited Rating ☆ Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 0.49 Sharpe Ratio 1.38 Information Ratio 0 Alpha Ratio 0 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 300 Exit Load 0-6 Months (2%),6-12 Months (1%),12 Months and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 31 Jan 20 ₹10,000 31 Jan 21 ₹11,939 31 Jan 22 ₹11,511 31 Jan 23 ₹13,541 31 Jan 24 ₹14,744 31 Jan 25 ₹19,052 Returns for HDFC Gold Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 19 Feb 25 Duration Returns 1 Month 8.9% 3 Month 14.2% 6 Month 20.4% 1 Year 37.7% 3 Year 18.6% 5 Year 14.5% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 7.5% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2023 18.9% 2022 14.1% 2021 12.7% 2020 -5.5% 2019 27.5% 2018 21.7% 2017 6.6% 2016 2.8% 2015 10.1% 2014 -7.3% Fund Manager information for HDFC Gold Fund
Name Since Tenure Arun Agarwal 15 Feb 23 1.96 Yr. Nirman Morakhia 15 Feb 23 1.96 Yr. Data below for HDFC Gold Fund as on 31 Jan 25
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 1.74% Other 98.26% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity HDFC Gold ETF
- | -100% ₹2,765 Cr 418,426,280
↑ 9,074,716 Treps - Tri-Party Repo
CBLO/Reverse Repo | -0% ₹3 Cr Net Current Assets
Net Current Assets | -0% -₹3 Cr 3. Nippon India Gold Savings Fund
CAGR/Annualized return of 9.1% since its launch. Return for 2024 was 19% , 2023 was 14.3% and 2022 was 12.3% . Nippon India Gold Savings Fund
Growth Launch Date 7 Mar 11 NAV (19 Feb 25) ₹33.6281 ↑ 0.35 (1.04 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹2,439 on 31 Jan 25 Category Gold - Gold AMC Nippon Life Asset Management Ltd. Rating ☆☆ Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 0.34 Sharpe Ratio 1.35 Information Ratio 0 Alpha Ratio 0 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 100 Exit Load 0-1 Years (2%),1 Years and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 31 Jan 20 ₹10,000 31 Jan 21 ₹11,858 31 Jan 22 ₹11,425 31 Jan 23 ₹13,424 31 Jan 24 ₹14,666 31 Jan 25 ₹18,922 Returns for Nippon India Gold Savings Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 19 Feb 25 Duration Returns 1 Month 9.1% 3 Month 14% 6 Month 20.3% 1 Year 37.7% 3 Year 18.5% 5 Year 14.2% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 9.1% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2023 19% 2022 14.3% 2021 12.3% 2020 -5.5% 2019 26.6% 2018 22.5% 2017 6% 2016 1.7% 2015 11.6% 2014 -8.1% Fund Manager information for Nippon India Gold Savings Fund
Name Since Tenure Himanshu Mange 23 Dec 23 1.11 Yr. Data below for Nippon India Gold Savings Fund as on 31 Jan 25
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 1.48% Other 98.52% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity Nippon India ETF Gold BeES
- | -100% ₹2,203 Cr 343,723,792
↑ 2,918,000 Triparty Repo
CBLO/Reverse Repo | -0% ₹8 Cr Net Current Assets
Net Current Assets | -0% -₹8 Cr Cash Margin - Ccil
Net Current Assets | -0% ₹0 Cr 4. IDBI Gold Fund
CAGR/Annualized return of 6.8% since its launch. Return for 2024 was 18.7% , 2023 was 14.8% and 2022 was 12% . IDBI Gold Fund
Growth Launch Date 14 Aug 12 NAV (18 Feb 25) ₹22.7237 ↑ 0.14 (0.60 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹80 on 31 Jan 25 Category Gold - Gold AMC IDBI Asset Management Limited Rating Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 0.65 Sharpe Ratio 1.37 Information Ratio 0 Alpha Ratio 0 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 500 Exit Load 0-12 Months (1%),12 Months and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 31 Jan 20 ₹10,000 31 Jan 21 ₹11,756 31 Jan 22 ₹11,378 31 Jan 23 ₹13,393 31 Jan 24 ₹14,641 31 Jan 25 ₹18,916 Returns for IDBI Gold Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 19 Feb 25 Duration Returns 1 Month 8% 3 Month 14.3% 6 Month 21.4% 1 Year 37.5% 3 Year 18.8% 5 Year 14.6% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 6.8% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2023 18.7% 2022 14.8% 2021 12% 2020 -4% 2019 24.2% 2018 21.6% 2017 5.8% 2016 1.4% 2015 8.3% 2014 -8.7% Fund Manager information for IDBI Gold Fund
Name Since Tenure Sumit Bhatnagar 1 Jun 24 0.67 Yr. Data below for IDBI Gold Fund as on 31 Jan 25
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 1.17% Other 98.83% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity LIC MF Gold ETF
- | -100% ₹71 Cr 103,201
↑ 3,300 Treps
CBLO/Reverse Repo | -1% ₹0 Cr Net Receivables / (Payables)
Net Current Assets | -0% ₹0 Cr 5. Axis Gold Fund
CAGR/Annualized return of 7.3% since its launch. Return for 2024 was 19.2% , 2023 was 14.7% and 2022 was 12.5% . Axis Gold Fund
Growth Launch Date 20 Oct 11 NAV (19 Feb 25) ₹25.6482 ↑ 0.21 (0.83 %) Net Assets (Cr) ₹794 on 31 Jan 25 Category Gold - Gold AMC Axis Asset Management Company Limited Rating ☆ Risk Moderately High Expense Ratio 0.24 Sharpe Ratio 1.39 Information Ratio 0 Alpha Ratio 0 Min Investment 5,000 Min SIP Investment 1,000 Exit Load 0-1 Years (1%),1 Years and above(NIL) Growth of 10,000 investment over the years.
Date Value 31 Jan 20 ₹10,000 31 Jan 21 ₹11,968 31 Jan 22 ₹11,560 31 Jan 23 ₹13,640 31 Jan 24 ₹14,944 31 Jan 25 ₹19,299 Returns for Axis Gold Fund
absolute basis & more than 1 year are on CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) basis. as on 19 Feb 25 Duration Returns 1 Month 8.9% 3 Month 13.7% 6 Month 19.8% 1 Year 37.5% 3 Year 18.9% 5 Year 14.7% 10 Year 15 Year Since launch 7.3% Historical performance (Yearly) on absolute basis
Year Returns 2023 19.2% 2022 14.7% 2021 12.5% 2020 -4.7% 2019 26.9% 2018 23.1% 2017 8.3% 2016 0.7% 2015 10.7% 2014 -11.9% Fund Manager information for Axis Gold Fund
Name Since Tenure Aditya Pagaria 9 Nov 21 3.23 Yr. Data below for Axis Gold Fund as on 31 Jan 25
Asset Allocation
Asset Class Value Cash 3.5% Other 96.5% Top Securities Holdings / Portfolio
Name Holding Value Quantity Axis Gold ETF
- | -98% ₹693 Cr 107,430,942
↑ 1,331,927 Clearing Corporation Of India Ltd
CBLO/Reverse Repo | -2% ₹15 Cr Net Receivables / (Payables)
Net Current Assets | -0% -₹2 Cr
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