Sovereign gold bonds subscription opens today, issue price fixed at Rs 2,901 per gram

New Delhi: The first tranche of the sovereign gold bonds (SGB) opened for public subscription on Monday.

The issue price for sovereign gold bonds has been fixed at Rs 2,901 per gram of gold.

The Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2017-18 - Series I will be opened for subscription from April 24 to April 28, 2017.

The bonds will be issued on May 12. The issue price of the bond is based on the simple average closing price (published by the India Bullion and Jewellers Association) for gold of 999 purity of the week preceding the subscription period.

It works out to be Rs 2,951 per gram. However, the government, in consultation with the Reserve Bank (RBI), has decided to offer a discount of Rs 50 per gram on the nominal value of the Sovereign Gold Bond.

"Hence, the issue price of gold bond for this tranche has been fixed at Rs 2,901 per gram of gold," the RBI said in a notification.

The bonds would earn an interest of 2.75 percent per annum, payable every six months on initial investment. The tenor of the bond will be for a period of 8 years with exit option from fifth year to be exercised on the interest payment dates.

The minimum investment limit into these bonds is one gram of gold, while the maximum amount subscribed by an entity cannot be more than 500 grams per person per fiscal year.

The bonds will be sold through banks, post offices, Stock Holding Corporation of India (SHCIL), and recognised stock exchanges -- National Stock Exchange (NSE) and BSE.

With Agency Inputs