Modi's gold pause plea plus 15% duty hike triggers 25-30% footfall drop at Indian jewellers

PM Modi's appeal to defer gold purchases, paired with an import duty jump from 6% to 15%, has cut jewellery store footfalls 25-30%. Crisil forecasts a 13-15% volume decline this fiscal as buyers pivot to lighter, lower-purity pieces. Wedding demand stays resilient against India's $5.2 trillion household gold stockpile.

— Source publishedMon, 25 May, 2026, 11:31 IST·First seen Mon, 25 May, 2026, 12:44 IST·Source ET Retail

What happened

Indian Gold & Jewellery Sector · PM Modi's appeal to pause gold buying plus import duty hike from 6% to 15% has hit jewellery footfalls 25-30%, with Crisil

Key facts

  • 15% import duty
  • $5.2 trillion household gold
  • 34,600 tonnes
  • 600-800 tonnes annual imports
  • 13-15% volume decline
  • 25-30% footfall drop
  • ₹4,500 per 10 grams price reset
  • 10-12% demand softening

Why this matters

Scout distressed regional jewellers and lightweight-design brands as acquisition targets while valuations compress under the duty hike and Crisil's bearish FY outlook.