Indel Money Executive Director and CEO Umesh Mohanan recently shared insights on the changing role of gold in India during an episode of Simple Hai!, hosted by Vivek Law. The discussion focused on how gold in India is moving beyond tradition and emotion to become a practical financial tool that supports liquidity and inclusion.
India holds nearly 25,000 tonnes of household gold, much of which remains idle. Mohanan explained that global factors such as US economic trends, geopolitical tensions, central bank policies, and rising global debt now influence gold prices more than seasonal domestic demand. These factors have strengthened gold’s position as a stable asset in uncertain times.
He highlighted that only about 15% of household gold enters the gold loan pledge market, and a majority of this is still handled by unregulated moneylenders. Indel Money aims to change this by expanding regulated gold lending in Tier 2 to Tier 5 cities, helping households access safe credit while improving transparency and local economic activity.
Mohanan also spoke about how gold loans have shifted from being a distress option to a lifestyle finance solution used for education, business needs, agriculture, and home improvements. With longer loan tenures, customer education, and strong governance, Indel Money has built a model focused on trust, repayment discipline, and long-term relationships.
The conversation highlighted how structured gold loans are strengthening financial resilience across India.
In a recent interaction with Outlook India, Indel Money Executive Director and CEO Umesh Mohanan highlighted the growing importance of gold as a reliable collateral driving India’s next phase of inclusive credit growth. He explained that gold-backed lending is becoming a key financial tool, especially for individuals and small businesses that face challenges in accessing traditional credit systems.
Gold loans are gaining relevance due to their speed, simplicity, and lower dependency on credit history. Mohanan noted that in India, where households hold large quantities of gold, a significant portion remains underutilised. By bringing this idle asset into the formal financial system, lenders can improve liquidity and expand access to credit in both urban and rural markets.
He emphasised that gold loans are particularly beneficial for MSMEs and individuals in smaller towns, where access to formal banking services is limited. The secured nature of gold lending reduces risk for lenders while enabling faster disbursal for borrowers. This makes gold loans an efficient solution during economic uncertainty and tight credit conditions.
As a regulated NBFC, Indel Money is also playing a key role in moving borrowers away from informal lending practices towards a more transparent and customer-first approach.
With gold evolving from a traditional asset into a strategic financial tool, Indel Money stands at the forefront of enabling inclusive and sustainable economic progress.
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In an interview with People Manager, Anoop C. Nair, Head of Human Resources at Indel Money, shared how flexibility in NBFCs must go beyond remote work and become a structured, fair, and governance-driven strategy. He explained that in a regulated gold-loan business, people policies must balance RBI compliance, customer trust, and local cultural realities.
According to Nair, flexibility does not mean relaxed controls. At Indel Money, the core values—ethics, compliance, and customer dignity—remain uniform across India, while the implementation adapts to regional needs. The company follows a “standardise the why and what, localise the how” approach, supported by regional councils and policy audits to maintain accountability.
He highlighted micro-flexibility practices such as rotating Saturdays off, role swaps within clusters, work-from-home options for eligible roles, Recharge Leave, and Family Leave. These initiatives are designed to improve retention in a branch-led NBFC environment.
Nair also emphasised that AI should handle routine administrative tasks, allowing managers to focus on mentoring and customer trust. He stressed that employee feedback is treated as a direct decision-making input, ensuring inclusive policy updates across geographies.
The interview outlines how flexible, measurable, and skills-driven HR practices are strengthening engagement, compliance, and long-term workforce resilience at Indel Money.
