60% of Indians plan to skip non-essential gold buys for a year after Modi's forex appeal

A new survey finds six in ten Indians intend to defer discretionary gold purchases for 12 months following PM Modi's call to conserve forex. The shift signals a material near-term demand headwind for India's listed jewelry retailers including Tanishq (Titan), Kalyan Jewellers and Malabar Gold.

— Source publishedSun, 17 May, 2026, 07:38 IST·First seen Sun, 17 May, 2026, 08:08 IST·Source NDTV Profit

What happened

footfall · Survey finds 6 in 10 Indians plan to avoid non-essential gold purchases for a year following PM Modi's appeal to conserve forex, signaling near-term

Key facts

  • 60%
  • 1 year

Why this matters

Cash-rich chains should pre-position now to acquire stressed regional jewelers and lock in prime retail leases as smaller players buckle under the demand freeze.