Jewellers adapt as government measures make gold costlier
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.MUMBAI/BENGALURU: Indian jewellery retailers and industry bodies are recalibrating their strategies as gold becomes more expensive following the government’s latest import duty hike. Companies are focusing on gold exchange schemes and lower-karat products to prevent a drop in sales volume.On Tuesday, India raised the effective import tax on gold and silver to 15%, reversing the duty cuts announced two years ago.The move comes as the government attempts to rein in surging precious metal imports and protect India’s foreign exchange reserves amid elevated crude oil prices and geopolitical tensions in West Asia.
This week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to defer gold purchases for a year to help conserve foreign exchange reserves.Retailers, meanwhile, are moving quickly to ensure customers do not walk away from jewellery purchases altogether. In its third-quarter FY26 earnings commentary, Titan Co.
said more than half of its jewellery sales now come from gold exchange programmes.Following the PM's announcement, another listed retailer, Kalyan Jewellers, launched the ‘Nation First – Gold4India Initiative,’ focusing on old-gold exchange programmes, gold monetization schemes, and related initiatives.Retailer associations also have a few suggestions to help in the transition. Rajesh Rokde, chairman of the All India Gem & Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC), a self-regulated trade body, suggests steps like gold monetization, removal of capital gains tax on gold and goods and services tax (GST) benefits on gold exchange.Gold monetization allows individuals, trusts, and institutions to deposit idle physical gold (jewellery, coins, and bars) with banks to earn interest.
Read on livemint.com