Few brands embody the balance between legacy and evolution as strongly as Abaran Jewellers, whose family journey in jewellery dates back to 1935 in Udupi. Over the decades, the brand has established a strong presence in Bengaluru while staying rooted in the values of trust, purity, transparency and craftsmanship.

In an exclusive conversation with JewelBuzz, Dr. Pratap Madhukar Kamath, Managing Director, Abaran, reflects on the brand’s multi-generational legacy, the changing Indian jewellery consumer, evolving notions of value, the future of jewellery retail and Abaran’s plans for its next phase of growth. He also shares his perspective on the evolving roles of gold and diamonds, the importance of design and the brand’s upcoming expansion into Udupi—the place where its jewellery journey began more than nine decades ago.

Abaran Jewellers has built a strong legacy across generations. What are the values from the brand’s heritage that remain non-negotiable, and where do you believe there is room to reinvent?

For us, heritage is not merely about how long we have been in business; it is about the trust we have earned across generations.

Our family’s journey in jewellery began in 1935 in Udupi, when my grandfather, Burde Sadanand Kamath, started the business. My father, Madhukar S. Kamath, carried that legacy forward to Bengaluru, establishing our presence here in 1983. Today, as the next generation takes the business forward, certain values remain absolutely non-negotiable: trust, purity, transparency, craftsmanship and long-term relationships with our customers.

What can—and must—constantly evolve is the way we express these values. Design, retail environments, technology, digital engagement and customer expectations are changing rapidly. Our challenge is therefore not to reinvent our values, but to continually reinvent the way we deliver them.

I believe the strongest legacy brands are those that remain firmly rooted in their identity while having the confidence to evolve with every generation.

The Indian jewellery customer is changing rapidly. Beyond traditional bridal purchases, what new occasions, categories and design preferences are driving demand today?

Jewellery in India is increasingly moving beyond being purely occasion-led. Bridal and wedding jewellery will always remain an important part of our business, but we are seeing strong demand from customers purchasing jewellery for self-expression, personal milestones, gifting, celebrations and everyday wear.

There is also a noticeable shift towards lighter, more versatile jewellery that can transition from work to social occasions. Younger customers in particular are comfortable mixing traditional craftsmanship with contemporary styling.

Diamond jewellery, lightweight gold, platinum and distinctive design-led pieces are becoming increasingly relevant. At the same time, traditional Indian jewellery remains extremely strong—it is simply being interpreted in newer and more wearable ways.

The biggest change, in my view, is that jewellery is becoming more personal. Customers increasingly want pieces that reflect who they are, rather than simply what an occasion requires them to wear.

With gold prices reaching unprecedented levels, has the meaning of “value” changed for today’s jewellery consumer? How are customers balancing aspiration, affordability and investment when making a purchase?

High gold prices have certainly made customers more thoughtful, but they have not diminished the emotional importance of gold in India.

The definition of value is becoming broader. Customers today consider not only the intrinsic value of gold, but also design, craftsmanship, wearability, transparency and the credibility of the jeweller.

We are seeing customers adjust purchase weights and budgets rather than necessarily abandoning a purchase. A customer may choose a lighter piece or a more versatile design while continuing to prioritise quality.

Gold also continues to occupy a unique position in India because it combines adornment, tradition and wealth preservation. Very few products carry all three attributes simultaneously.

For a trusted jeweller, therefore, periods of higher gold prices reinforce the importance of transparency and helping customers make informed choices rather than simply selling them a product.

How is the role of the jewellery store itself evolving? What are you doing to make the Abaran experience more personalised and relevant across physical stores and digital touchpoints?

Despite the growth of digital channels, I believe the physical jewellery store will remain extremely important in India. Jewellery is tactile, emotional and deeply personal. Customers want to see it, feel it, try it on and, most importantly, purchase it from someone they trust.

What is changing is the role of the store. It can no longer be merely a place where jewellery is displayed. It must become an environment built around discovery, consultation, comfort and personalised service.

At Abaran, we are working towards integrating the strength of our physical stores with digital communication and customer engagement. Technology should make the relationship more seamless, but it should never replace the human connection.

Ultimately, whether a customer interacts with Abaran in a showroom, through social media or digitally, the experience should feel consistent—warm, knowledgeable, transparent and personal.

Design is increasingly becoming a key differentiator for jewellery brands. What is influencing Abaran’s design philosophy today, and how do you strike the right balance between timelessness and contemporary expression?

Our design philosophy begins with the belief that fine jewellery should remain relevant well beyond the season in which it was purchased.

India provides an extraordinary vocabulary of craftsmanship, architecture, textiles, nature and cultural traditions from which to draw inspiration. At Abaran, we enjoy interpreting these influences through a contemporary lens rather than simply reproducing the past.

The balance between timelessness and contemporary expression is very important. We want a piece to feel relevant to today’s customer while retaining enough character and craftsmanship to be treasured many years from now.

For us, good design should not be driven solely by trends. It should have identity, emotion and longevity. That is where we believe the distinction between fashion and fine jewellery ultimately lies.

Gold and diamonds continue to occupy a special place in the Indian consumer’s mind, but their roles are evolving. How do you see the demand for these two categories developing, and where does Abaran see its biggest opportunity in the years ahead?

Gold and diamonds fulfil somewhat different aspirations, and I believe both have considerable room to grow.

Gold remains deeply embedded in Indian culture. It represents celebration, security, tradition and intergenerational wealth. Even as prices rise, these fundamentals remain intact. Customers may adapt the weight or format of their purchases, but their relationship with gold remains exceptionally strong.

Diamonds, meanwhile, offer a tremendous opportunity because they increasingly represent individuality, lifestyle and self-purchase, particularly among younger customers and women purchasing jewellery for themselves. Contemporary diamond jewellery can also be worn much more frequently than traditional occasion-led jewellery.

For Abaran, the opportunity is not to choose between gold and diamonds but to understand how the customer’s relationship with each is evolving.

I believe the future belongs to jewellers who can combine the trust and intrinsic value traditionally associated with jewellery with outstanding design, craftsmanship and a modern retail experience. That is the space in which we want Abaran to grow.

As Abaran looks to the next phase of its journey, which opportunities excite you most—new markets, new customer segments, new categories, or perhaps entirely new ways of engaging with consumers?

The next phase is particularly exciting for us because it represents both growth and a return to our roots.

We have built a strong presence in Bengaluru over several decades, and we are now preparing for our expansion into Udupi, the region where our family’s jewellery journey began in 1935. For me personally, that makes the expansion much more than the opening of another showroom—it completes a circle that began more than nine decades ago.

At the same time, we see significant opportunity in reaching younger customers, strengthening design-led jewellery, expanding our digital engagement and building deeper relationships with existing families.

Our ambition is to grow Abaran substantially over the coming years, but we want that growth to be disciplined. Scale should never come at the expense of trust, service or identity.

The opportunity that excites me most is therefore not simply having more stores; it is introducing Abaran to a much wider audience while preserving the qualities that brought us this far.

What is the roadmap for the future?

For Abaran Jewels, the future is not about choosing between heritage and modernity—it is about making the two work together. The brand’s core values of trust, purity, transparency and craftsmanship remain unchanged, even as consumer expectations, technology, design and retail experiences evolve.

The planned expansion into Udupi, where the family’s jewellery journey began in 1935, gives this next chapter an added sense of continuity. At the same time, Abaran is looking towards younger consumers, design-led jewellery, digital engagement and evolving self-purchase trends to drive its future growth.

In a market where consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of value, experience and authenticity, Abaran’s approach is clear: preserve the trust that has been built over generations while continuously reinventing how that trust is experienced by the next generation of jewellery consumers.And, stay relevant!