India Hikes Gold, Silver Import Duty to 15%; Modi Urges Citizens to Defer Purchases

Centre raises gold and silver import duty from 6% to 15% and platinum from 6.4% to 15.4%, citing forex and CAD pressures. PM Modi's call to postpone gold buying threatens festive demand for Tanishq, Kalyan, Malabar and Titan, with margin and footfall hits likely near-term.

— FiledWed, 13 May, 2026, 08:40 IST·First seen Wed, 13 May, 2026, 09:25 IST·Source NDTV Profit

What happened

Government of India · India has sharply raised import duties on gold and silver from 6% to 15%, and platinum from 6.4% to 15.4%, citing forex pressure and CAD

Key facts

  • gold/silver duty 6% to 15%
  • platinum duty 6.4% to 15.4%

Why this matters

Duty-driven stress on smaller unorganised jewellers opens a window for branded chains to accelerate consolidation and tuck-in M&A across Tier 2-3 markets at more rational valuations.