1 / 7Today, other than buying physical gold (viz. jewellery, bars, and coins), you also have smarter options to invest in gold. One such option is the Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs).2 / 7Sovereign Gold Bonds (SGBs) are issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on behalf of the government at the issue price. They are issued in denominations of 1 gram of gold and multiples thereof.3 / 7The maturity period for SGBs is eight years (with an exit option at the end of the fifth year to be exercised on the interest payment date). They are tradable on the stock exchange. Until five years, investments in SGB are subject to lock-in.4 / 7Any person resident in India (as defined under Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999) can invest in SGBs. This includes individuals, HUFs, trusts, universities, and charitable institutions. All applications in SGBs will be subject to compliance with KYC norms. In the case of individuals, joint holding is allowed. A minor may also invest through his/her guardian.5 / 7You can invest in SGBs as and when they open for subscription. The application to invest in SGB needs to be made in ‘Form A’ (or any other form as near as thereto), wherein you need to state how much gold you wish to invest in, your full name, the residential address, email id, Permanent Account Number (PAN) as issued by the Income-tax Department, nomination details, bank details, along with the necessary valid identification document and the application money. 6 / 7It is possible to apply and purchase SGBs, both offline and online. For online purchases, the issue price is lower by Rs 50 per gram than offline purchases.7 / 7The application form for investment in SGBs is available with the issuing banks ––Axis Bank is one of them ––and with designated Post Offices/agents. Alternatively, you may download the application form from the RBI’s website.