AU Small Finance Bank (AU SFB), India’s largest Small Finance Bank and the first in over a decade to receive in-principle approval to transition into a Universal Bank, today announced the successful activation of 501 existing branches forGold Loan product.”The initiative marks a significant step in strengthening AU SFB’s institution-led secured lending footprint, bringing faster, transparent and reliable gold loan services closer to customers across the country.
The addition of new set of branches is strategically located in regions with high household gold ownership and sustained demand for short-tenure, collateral-backed credit, reflecting the enduring role of gold as a trusted financial asset in India.
Each Gold Loan branch is purpose-built to deliver a seamless customer experience, supported by trained appraisers, standardised processes, and robust risk and compliance systems. This enables customers to access timely liquidity against their gold with confidence, transparency and peace of mind.
From a strategic perspective, the rollout underscores AU SFB’s ability to execute at scale, align branch-led distribution with strong backend capabilities, and design solutions that respond to real customer needs – particularly in semi-urban and rural markets across Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. By covering 488 pin codes nationwide, the initiative significantly broadens access to gold loans, making financing more accessible for customers across India.
Commenting on the development, Uttam Tibrewal, Deputy CEO, AU Small Finance Bank, said, “Gold has long been a trusted household asset in India, often serving as a financial anchor during moments of need. Through the activation of 501 branches for Gold Loan, our objective is to help customers responsibly unlock the value of this asset through a process that is fast, transparent and dependable. This initiative reflects AU SFB’s long-term commitment to building a strong, scalable and customer-first secured lending franchise across markets.”
Gold loans continue to play a critical role in meeting customers’ short-term liquidity needs, supporting uses ranging from business expansion and agricultural requirements to working capital and personal contingencies, while offering banks a highly secure and stable asset class. For AU SFB, this expansion further strengthens portfolio resilience and supports sustainable, diversified growth.