ETF Investing in India 2026: Gold ETFs, Silver ETFs, Nifty BeES & How to Pick the Right One

ETFs have quietly become one of India's most powerful investing tools. They give you diversification at the cost of a single stock purchase, with expense ratios so low they make active fund managers nervous. In 2026, ETF AUM in India has crossed ₹10 lakh crore — and there's a good reason for that growth.

But with hundreds of ETFs on NSE and BSE, picking the right one isn't obvious. This guide covers everything — what ETFs are, how they differ from index funds, the top ETF categories in India, and how to evaluate and buy the right ETF for your portfolio.

ETF Full Form and What It Actually Means

ETF stands for Exchange Traded Fund. It's a fund that holds a basket of assets — stocks, gold, silver, bonds, or other securities — and trades on a stock exchange just like a regular share. You can buy one unit of Nifty BeES (a Nifty 50 ETF) and effectively own a tiny piece of all 50 companies in the Nifty 50.

The "exchange-traded" part is what distinguishes ETFs from mutual funds. Mutual fund units are bought and sold at end-of-day NAV. ETFs trade throughout the market hours at real-time prices. This makes ETFs more flexible but also means they can trade at a slight premium or discount to their underlying NAV.

ETF vs. Index Fund — Which Should You Choose?

Both track the same indices, but they differ in how you access them:

• ETFs require a demat account and trading account. You buy them like shares on the exchange.
• Index funds don't require a demat account. You invest directly through a fund house or mutual fund platform.
• ETF expense ratios are generally lower (some as low as 0.03-0.05%) vs. index funds (0.10-0.20%).
• ETFs have brokerage costs on each buy/sell transaction. Index funds don't (though some platforms charge transaction fees).

For small monthly SIP investors: index funds are more convenient. For lumpsum investors with a demat account: ETFs offer marginally lower costs.

Equity ETFs — The Core Building Blocks

Nifty BeES (Nippon India ETF Nifty BeES)

Nifty BeES is India's first ETF, launched in 2001 by Benchmark Mutual Fund (now Nippon India). It tracks the Nifty 50 index. With an AUM exceeding ₹25,000 crore and daily trading volumes that ensure tight bid-ask spreads, Nifty BeES is the gold standard for equity ETFs in India. The ticker is NIFTYBEES on NSE. For large-cap equity exposure at minimal cost, it's hard to beat.

GoldBees (Nippon India ETF Gold BeES)

GoldBees is one of India's oldest and most popular gold ETFs, tracking the price of physical gold. Each unit represents a defined fraction of physical gold (often close to 1 gram), as specified by the scheme. It's traded on NSE under the ticker GOLDBEES. GoldBees is managed by Nippon India Mutual Fund and has historically been among the top 3 gold ETFs by trading volume in India.

Gold ETFs — The Digital Way to Own Gold

Gold ETFs allow you to invest in gold without the hassle of physical ownership — no making charges, no locker fees, no purity concerns. Each unit is backed by physical gold held by the fund's custodian. All gold ETFs in India are regulated by SEBI and audited regularly for gold holdings.

Top Gold ETFs in India 2026

When choosing between gold ETFs, prioritise: (1) liquidity — higher AUM and trading volume means tighter bid-ask spreads; (2) expense ratio — lower is better over long periods; (3) tracking error — how closely the ETF follows gold prices.

Silver ETFs — The Newer Entrant

SEBI approved silver ETFs in India in late 2021, and several fund houses launched them in 2022. Silver ETFs work exactly like gold ETFs — each unit represents a defined quantity of physical silver (typically 1 gram of 99.9% pure silver or a fraction thereof).

Silver has industrial demand drivers (electric vehicles, solar panels, electronics) in addition to its safe-haven qualities. This makes silver more volatile than gold but with potentially higher upside in industrial growth cycles. Over the past 3 years, silver has outperformed gold in certain periods during the global green energy transition.

Key silver ETFs: Nippon India ETF Silver BeES (SILVERBEES), HDFC Silver ETF, Mirae Asset Silver ETF. The category is smaller and less liquid than gold ETFs — spreads can be wider during low-volume periods.

How to Evaluate Any ETF Before Buying

1. Tracking Error: The most important metric. How closely does the ETF follow its benchmark index or commodity? Lower tracking error = better managed ETF. Lower tracking error is better; among Indian Nifty 50 ETFs, tracking error typically ranges between ~0.05% and 0.3%.

2. Expense Ratio: The annual management fee deducted from returns. For equity index ETFs, look for below 0.10%. For gold/silver ETFs, below 0.55% is competitive in India.

3. AUM and Liquidity: Higher AUM generally means better liquidity. Low liquidity ETFs have wide bid-ask spreads — you pay more to buy and receive less when you sell.

4. Premium/Discount to NAV: Check whether the ETF is trading at a premium (above NAV) or discount (below NAV) to its underlying assets. Consistently large premiums/discounts indicate liquidity or market-making issues.