National News
CEPA completes 3 years; powering India-UAE trade and economic ties
Bilateral gem and jewellery trade surged from US$ 20.88 billion in FY2022 to US$ 28.15 billion in FY2024, reflecting a robust 35% increase
The *Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)* between *India and the UAE*, formalised on 18th February 2022, has profoundly strengthened economic ties between the two nations. As we commemorate its third anniversary, it is evident that CEPA has significantly enhanced trade opportunities, particularly for India’s gem and jewellery industry.
Since CEPA’s implementation, trade between India and the UAE has witnessed remarkable growth. The bilateral gem and jewellery trade surged from US$ 20.88 billion in FY2022 to US$ 28.15 billion in FY2024, reflecting a robust 35% increase. India’s gem and jewellery exports to the UAE also soared by over 60%, from US$ 4.95 billion in FY2022 to US$ 8.04 billion in FY2024.
Notably, UAE’s share in India’s total exports rose from 13% in FY2022 to 25% in FY2024, overtaking Hong Kong as India’s second-largest export market. This underscores the transformative impact of CEPA on India’s trade dynamics.
One of the most significant benefits of CEPA has been the duty-free access for all gem and jewellery products, including gold, silver, and platinum jewellery, along with polished diamonds and gemstones.This development has motivated Indian exporters to increase their supply of various gem and jewellery items to the UAE, capitalising on the enhanced market access provided by the agreement.
This policy shift has led to substantial growth in key export categories:
Plain Gold Jewellery: Exports surged by 127.62%, reaching US$ 4,240 million in FY2024.
Studded Gold Jewellery: Increased by over 50%, from US$ 917 million in FY2022 to US$ 1,382 million in FY2024.
Worked Lab-Grown Diamonds: Witnessed a 58.16% growth, reaching US$ 172 million in FY2024.
Platinum Jewellery: Recorded a staggering 820.87% increase, reaching US$ 23 million.
Coloured Gemstones: Grew by 17.19% to US$ 9.34 million
*Kirit Bhansali*, Chairman, GJEPC, said, “The India-UAE CEPA has propelled our gem and jewellery exports to new heights, growing by over 60% from US$ 4.95 billion in FY2022 to US$ 8.04 billion in FY2024. The UAE now accounts for nearly a quarter of India’s total gem and jewellery exports, surpassing Hong Kong. The duty-free advantage has unlocked immense opportunities, particularly in plain gold jewellery, which saw a 127% surge. As we celebrate three years of CEPA, we remain committed to strengthening this vital partnership and exploring new avenues for growth.”
National News
Augmont-NSE Partnership Drives Strong Start for India’s Gold EGR Market, with Over 1,60,357 Units Traded in First Few Hours
Electronic Gold Receipts segment witnesses active two-way trading on day one, with 1,60,375 units traded, representing approximately 6 kg of gold and a traded value of ₹23.34 crore as of 04:25 PM
India’s gold market took an important step towards greater integration with the commencement of live trading in the Electronic Gold Receipts (EGR) segment on the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) today. Enabled through the collaboration between NSE and Augmont Enterprises Limited, the launch brings together NSE’s regulated exchange infrastructure and Augmont’s integrated physical gold ecosystem, creating a new avenue for investors to trade physically backed gold.
On its opening day, the EGR segment witnessed active two-way trading, with 1,60,357 units traded by approximately 04:25 PM, representing around 6 kg of gold. The trading activity translated into a cumulative traded value of approximately Rs.23.34 crore during the first session. The segment also demonstrated orderly price discovery, with prices remaining within a narrow intraday range of Rs.1,450.50 to Rs.1,460.00. The bid-ask spread remained between Rs.0.50 and Rs.1.00, indicating continuous two-way quotations and an active order book.
Each EGR represents 100 mg of physical gold, with the underlying gold held in SEBI-regulated vaults. Investors can buy and sell EGRs through their demat accounts on the exchange, while retaining the option of converting their holdings into physical gold, subject to the applicable framework. The segment follows a T+1 settlement cycle, under which trades executed on a particular day are settled on the next business day, facilitating the transfer of securities and funds through the exchange’s regulated clearing and settlement mechanism.
Under the strategic collaboration, Augmont serves as a key physical gold and infrastructure partner for NSE’s EGR segment, supporting the creation, vaulting, redemption and liquidity ecosystem. The gold backing the EGRs is sourced through Augmont’s integrated refining infrastructure, bringing together physical gold processing and exchange-based trading within a regulated framework.
The commencement of live trading marks an important step towards building a more transparent and accessible gold market in India. By enabling standardised gold to be traded through an exchange-based mechanism, EGRs have the potential to strengthen price discovery, improve market participation and create a more integrated ecosystem for physical gold.
Ketan Kothari, Whole-time Director, Augmont Enterprises Limited, said:
“The commencement of EGR trading marks the transition of our collaboration with NSE from building the underlying infrastructure to enabling a live, exchange-traded gold market. The day-one trading activity, continuous two-way quotations and orderly price discovery are important initial milestones for a new market segment.
At Augmont, we have brought together our refining capabilities and physical gold infrastructure to support the creation, vaulting and redemption of EGRs. We believe this initiative can play an important role in making physical gold more accessible, transparent and integrated with India’s formal financial ecosystem. Our focus remains on strengthening the ecosystem and supporting its wider adoption among investors, brokers and other market participants.“
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