IDFC FIRST Bank Unveils Gaj: – An Invitation-Only Metal Masterpiece for IDFC Private Banking Customers.

Agency News

Mumbai, 29th December 2025: IDFC FIRST Bank announces the debut of Gaj: (pronounced Gajah in Sanskrit) Credit Card a premium, invitation-only metal credit card engineered for the Bank’s discerning high-net-worth individuals (HNI). Gaj: Credit Card represents the pinnacle of Ashva- Mayura- Gaj: trilogy, the Bank’s curated series of premium metal credit cards.

Our Philosophy: In Sanskrit, Gaj: the Elephant signifies majesty, wisdom, stability, and sovereign power. In ancient Indian thought, the Gaj was the bearer of majesty of the land, the protector of empires, and the symbol of measured strength; never impulsive, never excessive. A majesty’s greatness was often judged not by the crown they wore, but by the Gaj they rode.

Our Design: The Gaj: Credit Card transcends generic global aesthetics. The “crafted on metal”, signature twin-elephant motif is an artisanal masterpiece designed to be a silent ambassador of Indian excellence on the global stage.

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Availability: Gaj: Credit Card is an invitation-only offering for select IDFC FIRST Bank Private Banking customers with established relationship depth. The card carries a joining and annual fee of ₹12,500 + GST. The card comes with 12,500 invitation Rewards Points of 1RP=Rs.1 redeemable on travel bookings via the IDFC FIRST Bank app effectively offsetting the joining fee. The annual fee is also waived on ₹10 lakh of annual spends. Beyond this, GAJ offers an inspirational metal card design, zero foreign exchange mark-up, a simple 1:1 rewards structure, and a set of premium travel and lifestyle privileges designed to complement an already strong proposition.

The Gaj: Benchmark: 

  • The 1:1 Reward Standard: 1 Reward Point = ₹1 for flights and hotels, eliminates complex math by offering the most direct value-back in the super-premium category.
  • The Global Traveler’s Core: 0% Forex Markup and Interest-Free Global ATM cash access, there is no longer a need to carry foreign currency notes and travel cards. 
  • Full Travel Protection:  A dedicated ₹50,000 Trip Cancellation Cover, the card is built for the “Global Indian” who demands a zero-compromise travel experience.
  • Hyper-Accelerated Rewards: Exclusive access to 50X rewards on hotels and 25X on flights via the IDFC FIRST ecosystem, delivering a value-back of up to 33.33%.
  • Seamless transit: with complimentary international and domestic lounges including one for the Guest.
  • For more features, refer to Annexed Table of Benefits

Shirish Bhandari, Head – Credit Cards, FASTag & Loyalty, IDFC FIRST Bank, said: “Gaj: Credit Card reflects our deep respect for Indian heritage and its achievers. We designed this card to be complete in every respect- combining feature depth with an inspirational Indian design. As the pinnacle of our Ashva- Mayura- Gaj: trilogy, it honours the wisdom and strength of the modern Indian achiever.”

Details of the product are as below:

Table of Benefits Gaj: Credit Card, Experience Greatness

Feature

Details

Forex Markup

0% forex markup on all international spends

ATM Cash Withdrawal

0% Interest up to 45 days. Only a flat fee of ₹199 per withdrawal is applicable

Reward Points (RPs) – Accelerated

5 reward points per ₹150 on your domestic spends

3 reward points per ₹150 on international spends

50 RPs per ₹150 (≈33.33% value back on hotel bookings) on IDFC FIRST Bank App 

25 RPs per ₹150 (≈16.67% value back on flight bookings) on IDFC FIRST Bank App

Reward Points Utility

Never Expiring Reward points. 

RP can be redeemed online for travel, shopping, and lifestyle purchases, giving you true value. Redemption not limited to catalogues. 

1 RP = ₹1 on travel bookings via IDFC FIRST Bank app

₹0.25 per Reward Points elsewhere

Airport Lounge Access

4 domestic (Including 1 guest visit) + 4 international lounge visits per quarter

Golf

Up to 2 complimentary rounds/lessons per month

Hotel Privileges

ITC Hotels: Book 2 nights and get the 3rd night free

Meet & Greet

One Complimentary airport meet & greet on annual international spends of USD 1,000

Trip Cancellation Cover

Get reimbursed for non-refundable flight and hotel cancellations: up to ₹50,000

Joining Fee Payment Benefit

12,500 Reward Points worth up to ₹12,500.

 Spend ₹1L within 60 days to get 25% off, up to ₹5,000 on select 5-star properties via IDFC FIRST Bank Mobile App (coupon valid for 180 days).

FIRST Digital Card

Lifetime free FIRST Digital Rupay Credit Card for UPI payments with 1 Reward Point per Rs 150 spends

Fuel Surcharge Waiver

1% Fuel surcharge waiver up to ₹300 in a statement cycle

Travel & Purchase Protection

Comprehensive coverage including travel insurance, air accident and personal accident cover, and purchase protection

 

About the Bank

  1. Vision: To build a world-class Bank in India, founded with principles of Ethical, Digital, and Social Good  Banking.
  2. Scale: IDFC FIRST Bank is one of India’s fast-growing private banks, building its UI, UX, and tech stack like a fintech. As of September 30, 2025, the Bank serves 35 million customers, with a customer business of Rs. 5,35,673 crore ($60.4b) comprising customer deposits of ₹2,69,094 crores ($30.3b) and loans & advances of ₹2,66,579 crores ($30.0b). Customer deposits grew 23.4% YoY and loans 19.7% YoY. We reach over 60,000 cities, towns, and villages, operate through 1,041 branches. 
  3. Scope: We are a universal Bank offering complete range of services, including Retail, MSME, Rural, Startups, Corporate Banking, Cash Management, Credit Cards, Wealth Management, Deposits, Government Banking, Working Capital, Trade Finance, and Treasury solutions.
  4. Ethical Banking:  We are committed to doing right even when customers are not watching. We have simplified descriptions, calculations, and legal jargon to avoid confusing customers.
  5. Digital Banking: The Bank’s modern technology stack delivers high-quality services across all channels like mobile, branch, internet banking, call centers and relationship managers. Built on cloud-native, API led, microservices architecture, supported with data, analytics, AI, and fine aesthetics, we strive to deliver fintech-grade experiences on banking platform.
  6. Social Good: We work for society. We have impacted over 40 million lives including 3.6 million women entrepreneurs. We have financed over 7.5 million lifestyle improvement loans (for laptops, washing machines, refrigerators etc. that enhance the quality of life of middle class), 2.5 lakh electric 2W and 3W vehicles, 2.7 lakh water, sanitation, and hygiene loans, 2 million livelihood (cattle) loans, and 300,000+ SMEs. On deposits, we provide access of premium investment research, which is usually reserved for the wealthy, even to those holding balances as low as ₹5,000. Our ESG scores are high and improving.
  7. Customer Friendly Banking: We make banking easy by having a customer first approach. We have waived fees on 36 essential savings account services which are commonly charged in the market, the first and only bank in India to do so. We create “pull” products that customers actively seek out.
  8. Governance: We adhere to regulatory guidelines in letter and spirit and actively work with regulators to make things better. We take pride in maintaining highest levels of corporate governance.
  9. Shareholders: We are building a well-diversified universal banking portfolio designed to deliver consistent ROE of 16%+. 
  10. Employees: IDFC FIRST Bank is designed to be a happy place to work, with cutting-edge roles, meaningful growth opportunities, and a culture of meritocracy. Compensation is healthy, efforts are recognized, and employees experience the pride and excitement of creating a world-class Bank in India.