SOUTHERN STATES GOLD LOANS
22k gold rate today: Check 24k, 22k, 18k gold prices (April 20, 2026) in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and other cities
Gold rate today: Gold and silver prices are seeing movement ahead of Akshaya Tritiya. Geopolitical events are influencing market trends. Consumers can check rates from Tanishq, Joyalukkas, Kalyan Jewellers, and Malabar Gold & Diamonds. IBJA also provides indicative retail selling rates. These prices are for April 20, 2026.
Akshaya Tritiya sees 30% volume drop in gold buying amid price spike
Gold demand during Akshaya Tritiya dropped about 30% in volume as prices, up nearly 60% year-on-year, deterred large purchases. Buyers stayed within budgets, shifting to lighter jewellery, small coins and exchange-led buying, while millennials preferred solitaires in the ₹75,000–2.5 lakh range.
Akshaya Tritiya sees tepid demand on gold price surge
Gold demand during India's Akshaya Tritiya festival remained subdued as record prices curbed jewellery purchases, despite a slight increase in investment demand. Consumers shifted towards gold coins, with overall buying volume lower, though value spending was higher due to elevated prices. This reflects a changing trend of price-sensitive buyers purchasing throughout the year.
Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chandrababu Naidu criticise Opposition after Constitution Bill defeat; warn of impact on South’s representation and women’s quota
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Opposition leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy united in their criticism of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill's defeat. They expressed concern that blocking the bill would reduce southern states' representation and delay women's reservation. Both leaders believe this outcome denies justice and penalizes states that practice family planning.
Andhra CM announces Rs 40,000 lease per acre under Amaravati phase II land pooling
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced a Rs 40,000 per acre annual lease for a decade to farmers participating in the second phase of Amaravati's land pooling. Farmers will also receive a Rs 1.5 lakh crop loan per household, with the lease amount increasing by Rs 3,000 annually.
Gold demand set to remain resilient ahead of Akshaya Tritiya; Bullion remains preferred safe-haven for wealth creation
Gold demand remains strong ahead of Akshaya Tritiya, with retail investors viewing bullion as a key wealth creation tool. Despite high prices, the festival drives demand, supported by gold's safe-haven appeal amidst global uncertainties. Younger buyers are increasingly opting for lightweight jewellery and digital gold, while investment products like coins and bars are also gaining traction.
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West Asia War: Uneasy calm in Lebanon as families head home
A ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah brought a fragile calm to Lebanon. Thousands of displaced families began returning home. Roads south saw long queues of cars. Many residents headed back to damaged villages. Israel's defense minister stated military operations against Hezbollah are not complete. He warned of further action if fighting resumes.
No state will lose out in delimitation, says Amit Shah; offers 50% seat hike amendment if Opposition backs bill
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has proposed a significant increase in Lok Sabha seats. He stated that no state will be disadvantaged in the upcoming delimitation exercise. Shah offered to amend the bill for a uniform 50% rise in seats if opposition parties agree to its passage. This move aims to address concerns from southern states about potential representation loss.
'Hiding behind women': Rahul Gandhi flags electoral rejig in delimitation push; strongly opposes Women's Reservation Bill in Lok Sabha
Rahul Gandhi has strongly criticized the government's proposed women's reservation and delimitation bill. He argues it is a political strategy to alter India's electoral map for the ruling party's benefit. Gandhi claims the bill could disadvantage OBCs, Dalits, and Adivasis. He also suggests it might reduce the influence of southern and smaller states.
Govt allows SBI, HDFC, Axis Bank & 12 others to import gold, silver until March 2029
The central government has permitted 15 top banks, including the State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, Bank of India and others to import gold and silver from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2029.
Jefferies says Gold enters consolidation phase after retail-driven frenzy buying this year
Global investment firm Jefferies in its latest report said that gold has entered a consolidation phase following a strong retail-driven buying surge seen late last year and early this year across key markets including India, China and the United States.
Parliament special session Day 2: Lok Sabha to consider Delimitation Bill, Amendments to Women Reservation Bill for passing
Lok Sabha will debate and vote on key legislation including the Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposing 33 percent reservation for women in Parliament and State Assemblies. The Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, and the Delimitation Bill, which aims to increase Lok Sabha constituencies to 850, will also be discussed.
ET Family Business Awards: Muthoot FinCorp's journey from a modest Kerala based player to a national giant
Muthoot FinCorp, a family business with roots tracing back to 1887, has evolved into a nationwide financial services player, earning the ET Family Business of the Year-Large award. The company's success is attributed to its diversification, digital transformation, and expanded credit access, reflecting nearly 140 years of growth and adaptation.
South's LS seats, political weight to rise: Govt
Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured southern states their representation will rise with Lok Sabha expansion to 816 seats. He stated Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala will see increased seats and political weight. Shah also clarified that reservation for Muslim women based on religion is unconstitutional. Bills related to women's reservation and delimitation were introduced.
New Delimitation Bill 2026: What it means and its key proposals
The government's tabling of the Delimitation Bill has ignited a political firestorm, particularly from southern opposition parties. The proposal, which could redistribute Lok Sabha seats based on population, threatens to reduce the South's political influence despite their economic contributions. Critics argue this move penalizes states that successfully controlled population growth.
Amit Shah tables Delimitation Bill in Lok Sabha amidst nationwide protests by Opposition, southern states
Union Home Minister Amit Shah tabled the Delimitation Bill in Lok Sabha amid protests, with southern states alleging a population-based redraw favouring the North. In Tamil Nadu, M K Stalin burned a copy, calling it a “black law” and launching statewide agitation over federal concerns.
Lok Sabha seats in five southern states to increase to 195 from 129, clarifies Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has dismissed claims that southern states will see reduced representation in the Lok Sabha. He stated that following the implementation of women's reservation and delimitation, the total number of Lok Sabha seats will increase. Southern states will see their seats rise significantly, enhancing their power.
TN polls: Vijay announces Rs 2,500 monthly assistance, 8 gm gold for women
TVK chief Vijay unveiled his party's manifesto for the upcoming Assembly polls, pledging Rs 2,500 monthly aid for women and 8 grams of gold for marriage assistance. The manifesto also includes a full cooperative crop loan waiver for small farmers and a minimum support price of Rs 3,500 per quintal for paddy.
Stalin warns of statewide 'Black Flag' protest against delimitation
Delimitation a historic injustice against southern states, says TN CM
Centre to redraw Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies but may avoid allocation to allay fears
New Delhi is set to redraw Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies using the 2011 Census. However, seat allocation among states will not change. Parliament will decide on a uniform increase in total seats, maintaining the current inter-state balance. This move aims to address concerns about political weight shifting. The expansion is linked to women's reservation, potentially increasing women MPs significantly.
Gold loans soar in India, but it’s southern households leading the charge
Gold loans in India have surged fourfold since March 2022, becoming the second-largest retail credit segment. Southern states, led by Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka, continue to dominate originations, accounting for over half the market. While the south remains the core, emerging regions like Uttar Pradesh are showing significant growth from a lower base.
These 10 private and public banking stocks have an upside potential of up to 30% in one year, according to analysts
As far as fundamentals are concerned, most banks have continued to show improvement on critical parameters like NPAs. But if inflation rises and impacts credit growth (which has been an area of some concern), these stocks could take a hit. Now, why we are talking about inflation is obvious: Rising crude oil prices. That’s bad news for the Indian economy and the markets. Check out Stock Reports Plus, powered by Refinitiv, for price targets of over 4,000 listed stocks along with detailed company analysis focusing on five key components ,earnings, fundamentals, relative valuation, risk, and price momentum, to generate standardised scores. SR+ Reports is a complimentary offering to ETPrime members.
Gold loan delinquency rates send red signal
Borrowers with more than ₹2.5 lakh outstanding showed a delinquency rate of 1.5% at the end of December, about 2.2x higher than those with lower exposures, the credit information company said in a report. The delinquency rate was higher at 1.9% for those accumulating more than five loans.
Gold Loan: Borrowers with big exposure more prone to default, says TransUnion Cibil report
India’s gold loan market is seeing rising stress as borrowers take larger and multiple loans, pushing up delinquency rates and credit risk, according to TransUnion CIBIL. Nearly half of borrowers now have loans above ₹2.5 lakh—where defaults are over twice as high, often with multiple borrowings. While the segment is growing rapidly, lenders are being urged to look beyond collateral and assess overall borrower debt and repayment capacity more carefully.
RBI returns Ujjivan Small Finance Bank's application for universal bank licence
The Reserve Bank of India has returned Ujjivan Small Finance Bank's application to become a universal bank. The central bank cited the need for Ujjivan to diversify its loan portfolio. Ujjivan must now demonstrate a more varied asset base before reapplying.
CreditAccess Grameen looks to scale down microfinance growth, says MD & CEO Ganesh Narayanan
CreditAccess Grameen, a leading NBFC-MFI, is shifting focus from microfinance to secured lending like home loans. The company aims to become a Rs 50,000 crore entity by 2028, with a significant portion from retail finance. It is actively exploring acquisitions to accelerate growth in its secured business segment.
Indian household gold higher than gold reserves of world's top 10 central banks: Assocham
India’s households now hold more gold than the top 10 central banks combined, with estimates ranging from $2.4 trillion to $10 trillion. Assocham says this vast, largely idle wealth could be a major economic catalyst if channelled into formal systems through monetisation, gold-backed lending and financialisation
India’s household gold holdings now much larger than combined gold reserves of top 10 central banks: ASSOCHAM
India's household gold holdings are now the world's largest, surpassing central bank reserves. ASSOCHAM says that channeling even a small portion into financial assets could add trillions to India's GDP by 2047. This move would strengthen manufacturing, infrastructure and agriculture, boosting the economy through increased consumption and job creation.
Women borrowers hold Rs 76 lakh crore credit portfolio: Report
The Aayog, in the report titled 'From Borrowers to Builders: Women and India's Evolving Credit Market', said that between December 2017 and December 2025, the number of credit-active women borrowers registered a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9 per cent, while credit penetration among them increased from 19 per cent to 36 per cent.
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