IndusInd Tiger vs SBI Card MILES ELITE (2026)
Two 1:1 Maharaja pipes: SBI's ₹4,999 of instant 2/₹200 breadth vs Tiger's free slab engine that out-earns it once you cross ₹5L a year.
Head to head
| Metric | IndusInd Tiger | SBI Card MILES ELITE |
|---|---|---|
| Our rank | #12 | #37 |
| Annual fee | ₹0 + GST | ₹4,999 + GST |
| Fee waiver | None | ₹15,00,000 spend |
| Forex markup | 1.5% + GST | 1.99% + GST (also 1.99% DCC on INR-billed international transactions ≥₹1,000) |
| APR | 3.5%/mo (42%/yr) initially — bank may reprice on credit history/behaviour | Up to 3.75%/mo (45%/yr) |
| Effective reward rate | 0.8% | 1.0% |
| Currency | IndusInd Reward Points | SBI Travel Credits |
| House value | ₹0.80/pt | ₹1.00/pt |
| Welcome benefit | None — lifetime free, no joining bonus | 5,000 Travel Credits on ₹1L spend in 60 days |
| Lounge doors opened | 588 of 644 | 583 of 644 |
| Income — salaried | not published | not published |
| Income — self-employed | not published | not published |
Gold marks the better side of a row. House value is our ₹-per-point mark for each card's currency — the full valuation index →
Net annual value face-off
Everyday spend at each card's base rate plus a realistic ~20% at its best accelerator (less for narrow or capped boosters) — milestones, fee waivers and the redemption haircut all at our house ₹/point. That's why the biggest headline rate doesn't automatically win. Tune it to your own spend in the calculator.
IndusInd Tiger out-earns SBI Card MILES ELITE at every spend level we model, from ₹25k to ₹5L a month.
Transfer reach
Both reach
- Air India Maharaja Club 1:1
Only IndusInd Tiger
- Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
Only SBI Card MILES ELITE
- British Airways Executive Club (Avios)
- Air France-KLM Flying Blue
- ALL - Accor Live Limitless
Full route maps on each card page, best ₹/point routes on the optimizer →
The call
For the ₹1L/month spender, IndusInd Tiger nets ₹51,040 against ₹29,881 — a ₹21,159 gap. At ₹5L/month, IndusInd Tiger nets ₹2,71,206 against ₹94,400 — a ₹1,76,806 gap. Lounge chasers: IndusInd Tiger opens 588 of 644 tracked doors to SBI Card MILES ELITE's 583.
Our standing verdicts: IndusInd Tiger — Keep; SBI Card MILES ELITE — Keep. On our board, IndusInd Tiger sits at #12 to SBI Card MILES ELITE's #37 — that's the overall call. Your spend pattern can overrule us: run your exact numbers →