Gold duty hike to 15% lifts Delhi prices to ₹1.56L/10g, but jewellery stocks bleed for third day

India's import duty jump from 6% to 15% pushed Delhi gold +1% to ₹1,56,800/10g and silver +4.53% to ₹2.77L/kg, yet listed jewellers sold off: Sky Gold -11.11%, Kalyan -6%, Senco -4.30%, PCJ -3.65%. Industry flags a 10-15% volume hit as buyers shift to lighter pieces; Senco CEO sees elevated duty lasting ~1 year.

— FiledThu, 14 May, 2026, 06:47 IST·First seen Thu, 14 May, 2026, 06:37 IST·Source Mint · Money

What happened

Kalyan Jewellers · India hiked gold/silver import duty to 15% from 6%, sending domestic prices higher but pressuring jewellery stocks for a third day. Experts

Key facts

  • import duty hiked to 15% from 6%
  • gold imports $71.98bn in 2025-26, up 24%
  • volumes fell 4.76% to 721.03 tonnes
  • Delhi gold ₹1,56,800/10g (+₹1,500, ~1%)
  • silver ₹2,77,000/kg (+₹12,000, 4.53%)
  • IBA 24k ₹1,61,110/10g; 22k ₹1,47,684/10g; silver ₹2,96,030/kg
  • MCX June gold +6.34% to ₹1,63,165
  • MCX July silver +6.97% to ₹2,98,501
  • spot gold -1% to $4,692.64/oz
  • spot silver -3.04% to $83.49/oz
  • duty cost impact ₹27,000/10g vs ₹13,500 earlier
  • Sky Gold -11.11%, Kalyan -6%, Senco -4.30%, PCJ -3.65%, TBZ -1.74%, Titan -1.64%
  • volume impact 10-15%

Why this matters

Duty-stressed mid-tier jewellers (PCJ, smaller regionals) become acquisition targets at distressed multiples; simultaneously scan for bolt-on design studios specializing in lightweight/lab-grown lines to future-proof the category mix.