National News

India’s Gems & Jewellery Exports Drop 15.8% in May Amid U.S. Tariff Impact: GJEPC

Published

8 months ago

June 18, 2025

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India’s overall gems and jewellery exports dropped by 15.81% to $2,263.42 million (₹19,260.81 crore) in May 2025, compared to $2,688.38 million (₹22,414.02 crore) during the same month in 2024, as per the latest data released by the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC).

According to GJEPC, the decline was largely due to the tariff announcements by the United States, which significantly impacted outbound shipments. Among the segments, exports of cut and polished diamonds experienced a sharp fall of 35.49%, standing at $949.70 million (₹8,089.81 crore) in May 2025, down from $1,472.08 million (₹12,272.03 crore) in the corresponding period last year.

Similarly, exports of polished lab-grown diamonds saw a decline of 32.7%, falling to $80.90 million (₹689.71 crore) from $120.32 million (₹1,003.06 crore) recorded in May 2024.

On a positive note, gold jewellery exports witnessed a significant rise of 17.24% to $997.50 million (₹8,482.61 crore), compared to $850.81 million (₹7,094.52 crore) during the same period in the previous year. This growth is attributed to rising global demand for gold amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, gross silver jewellery exports during April–May dropped by 17.59% to $150.08 million (₹1,281.92 crore), down from $182.11 million (₹1,518.69 crore) in the same period last year. Coloured gemstone exports also saw a minor dip of 1.13%, totalling $62.51 million (₹533.08 crore) compared to $63.22 million (₹527.36 crore) during April–May 2024.

GJEPC Chairman Kirit Bhansali stated, “The overall exports continue to decline and in May the dip was 15.81% mainly due to the tariffs announcement by the US. However, gold jewellery exports have gone up due to the continuing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which has increased the demand for the precious metal as a safe haven.”

National News

Outstanding gold-backed loans surge by 128% from a year earlier

Published

6 hours ago

February 28, 2026

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India’s appetite for borrowing against gold is reshaping the country’s credit landscape. Outstanding gold-backed loans have surged 128% from a year earlier, crossing Rs.4 lakh crore ($48 billion) for the first time, according to data from the Reserve Bank of India. As of Jan. 31, loans secured by gold jewellery stood at Rs.4,00,517 crore, marking one of the fastest expansions in retail credit in recent years.

The boom in gold loans has helped propel overall non-food bank credit growth to 14.4% year-on-year. Personal loans now account for 34.5% of total bank lending, outpacing other segments and underscoring a broader shift toward consumer-driven credit expansion

Gold loans alone contributed roughly 9% of incremental bank credit during the period. Between January 2024 and January 2026, outstanding gold-backed credit rose by nearly Rs.3.1 lakh crore—an increase of about 338% over two years—more than quadrupling the size of the portfolio.

Two factors are driving the surge. First, gold prices have climbed roughly 152% over the past two years, increasing the collateral value of household holdings. Second, regulatory guidance requiring banks to classify loans secured by gold explicitly as gold loans has sharpened reporting and accelerated balance-sheet growth in the segment.

The trend highlights a distinctive feature of India’s financial system: households’ vast stock of physical gold, long viewed primarily as a store of wealth, is increasingly being mobilized as collateral for formal credit.

While personal lending and credit to nonbank financial companies within the services sector continue to expand rapidly, industrial credit remains uneven. Loans to micro, small and medium enterprises are growing steadily, but borrowing by large corporations has stayed relatively muted.

Since March 21, 2025, banks have added Rs.21.8 lakh crore to their non-food loan books, translating into 12% growth for the financial year to date. Yet it is gold—rather than factories or infrastructure—that is emerging as one of the most dynamic engines of India’s current credit cycle.