For generations, Indians have cherished gold as a symbol of security and prosperity. Traditionally, this meant buying jewellery or coins, but physical gold comes with challenges like storage, making charges, and risk of theft. Enter digital gold, a modern way to buy and own 24K gold online, starting from as little as ₹1. Platforms like Paytm Gold, PhonePe Gold, Google Pay Gold, and OroPocket have made investing in gold as simple as a few taps on your phone. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started. (Image: Canva)

Understand What Digital Gold Is: Digital gold represents electronic ownership of real, physical 24K gold stored securely in insured vaults. Unlike cryptocurrency, it’s backed by actual gold, and you can buy, sell, or even request physical delivery. (Image: AI-Generated)

Choose a Trusted Platform: Popular platforms include Paytm Gold, PhonePe Gold, Google Pay Gold, and OroPocket. These partner with certified vault providers to ensure your gold is safe. Look for platforms regulated by trusted financial bodies and offering transparent pricing. (File Photo)

Register and Verify Your Account: Sign up on your chosen app or website. Most platforms require basic details and mobile verification. Some may ask for KYC (Know Your Customer) documents if you plan to invest larger amounts. (Image: AI-Generated)

Decide Your Investment Amount: The beauty of digital gold is flexibility. You can start with as little as ₹1, making it accessible for small-ticket investors. Decide whether you want to invest a lump sum or make regular contributions. (Image: AI-Generated)

Make the Purchase: Use UPI, net banking, or debit/credit cards to buy digital gold instantly. The platform will show you the live gold price, and your purchase will be recorded in grams of gold stored in your name. (File Photo)

Track Your Holdings: Your account dashboard will display the amount of gold you own, updated in real time with market prices. This makes it easy to monitor your investment and decide when to buy more or sell. (Image: AI-Generated)

Sell or Redeem Anytime: Digital gold offers 24/7 liquidity. You can sell your holdings back to the platform at current market rates. Alternatively, some platforms allow you to redeem your digital gold as physical coins or bars delivered to your doorstep. (Image: AI-Generated)

Keep an Eye on Charges and Limits: While digital gold eliminates making charges, platforms may levy small transaction or storage fees. Also, note that most platforms cap investments at around ₹2 lakh to prevent misuse. (Image: AI-Generated)