Bengaluru: Organized jewellers are pushing lightweight designs, price-lock schemes and new launches amid volatile gold prices ahead of Akshaya Tritiya.
The push comes amid sharp volatility in gold prices following the West Asia war, weighing on entry-level demand. Prices have swung widely over the past three months—from a record ₹1.75 lakh per 10gm in January to about ₹1.31 lakh in March, with intermittent rebounds and intraday drops of up to 5%.
Akshaya Tritiya, which will be celebrated on Sunday, 19 April, is considered auspicious for buying gold. It is among the jewellery industry’s key sales periods alongside the wedding season and Dhanteras, typically driving footfall across stores.
Gold jewellery and related items worth around ₹12,000 crore were sold on Akshaya Tritiya in 2025, according to estimates by the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT).
“Consumers across investment, value and design segments continue to show strong intent to buy this Akshaya Tritiya,” Arun Narayan, chief executive of Titan Co. Ltd’s jewellery division, told Mint.
Titan, the country’s largest organized jewellery retailer, last week launched Hues, a coloured gemstone range under its Tanishq brand, targeting young buyers while keeping entry prices accessible. About 70% of the 200 designs in the collection, built around natural gemstones such as amethyst, tourmaline and citrine, are priced below ₹2.5 lakh, with products starting at around ₹40,000.
Shift to lightweight, affordable designs
Other organized jewellers also expect strong demand to adjust purchase sizes rather than stepping away from the market altogether.
Saurabh Gadgil, chairman and managing director of PNG Jewellers, said sentiment remains positive despite record bullion prices, aided by the overlap with the wedding season. The company expects sales to grow 25-30% year-on-year, led by markets such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Customers are increasingly opting for lightweight, design-led pieces that balance affordability and versatility, while demand for coins and bars remains steady as buyers split spending between adornment and investment. PNG has introduced exchange offers, discounts on making charges and expanding sub-brands to attract younger buyers.
Kisna Diamond and Gold Jewellery is seeing selective purchases. Parag Shah, chief executive officer, said most purchases this season are in the ₹60,000-80,000 range. “Consumers are participating actively, but with greater consideration. There is a visible shift toward lightweight and more affordable jewellery,” Shah said.
To protect margins, jewellers are reworking manufacturing setups for lightweight jewellery production. “Our approach remains focused on disciplined inventory management and prudent hedging practices,” said Mangesh Chauhan, managing director, Sky Gold & Diamonds. “The asset-light, design-led approach allows us to remain agile while protecting margins.”
Alternative categories such as lab-grown diamonds, silver and lightweight fashion jewellery are also gaining traction, Chauhan noted.
Kisna’s newly launched Mangalayam festive collection and price-protection plans are expected to account for a growing share of monthly sales despite volatile gold.
Lock-in pricing and new channels
To capture impulse purchase during Akshaya Tritiya, Kalyan Jewellers has partnered with Swiggy to sell gold coins through Swiggy Instamart.
Ramesh Kalyanaraman, executive director at Kalyan Jewellers, said consumer response to buying gold through quick-commerce platforms has been encouraging, particularly for symbolic “shagun” purchases and last-minute festive buying.
The retailer has also expanded its price-lock programme, allowing customers to secure current rates and complete purchases later, helping reduce hesitation during sharp price moves.
While features like lock-in prices are largely sales practices by jewellers, analysts say it helps boost retail confidence. “Lock-in price policies help demonstrate confidence of the retailer or supplier in the asset. It builds investment discipline like SIPs (systematic investment plans) did to mutual funds,” said Madhur Singhal, managing partner (consumer and internet) at Praxis Global Alliance.
“For jewellers, it builds stability of revenue without having to change communication to consumers frequently. It is a sales strategy in that sense, but it is a win-win.”
Large, organiZed retailers are better placed to navigate volatility, as they can procure and hedge at scale. “Organized jewellery retailers are also into more sophisticated merchandising, but a lot of unorganised retailers cater to celebration wear or occasion wear. These consumer use cases are typically sold as per the day rate, and back-to-back orders to buy gold enable the jeweller to maintain margins,” Singhal noted.