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VAJRA INDUSTRY RESEARCH AND ACADEMIC MEET (VAIRAM) 2025 organised by GJEPC, IIT Madras inaugurated in Chennai

The Vajra Industry Research and Academic Meet (Vairam) 2025, a joint effort by GJEPC and InCent LGD IIT Madras, was officially introduced at the IITM Research Park in Chennai.

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Madras at IITM Research Park, Chennai, was unveiled by Prof. V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, Prof M S Ramachandra Rao, InCent-LGD, IIT Madras, Mr. Manish Jiwani, Co-Convener, LGD Committee, GJEPC and Mr. Sabyasachi Ray, Executive Director, GJEPC among other dignitaries and industry experts.

The workshop features several panel discussions. “Beyond Gems: Next-Generation Applications of OLab-Grown Diamonds” explores LGDs’ potential in various industries beyond jewellery. “Lab-Grown Diamond Growth and Treatment Recipes and Challenges” delves into the intricacies of CVD and HPHT methods. “Diamond Quality Checks and Certification” addresses the crucial need for standardised quality control for gems, jewellery, and seeds. “Lab Grown Diamond Machines and Processing Equipment” will highlight the importance of indigenous equipment manufacturing to bolster India’s self-reliance. The workshop has drawn 150 + participants from the industry.

Key Takeaways

Diamond Quality Checks & Certification:

  • Advanced treatments challenge LGD grading and certification accuracy.
  • Key challenges: ensuring grading accuracy, standardization, and detecting undisclosed synthetics.
  • Emphasis on advanced testing methods, tech-driven grading, and industry consistency.
  • Traceability of tested items is a major issue.
  • LGDs are both supplementary and complementary to the diamond industry.
  • Mimicking natural diamond growth patterns in LGDs remains a challenge.

LGD Growth & Treatment Recipes: Key Takeaways

  • Increasing nitrogen in HPHT accelerates growth, benefiting gem-quality diamonds but not other industrial uses.
  • Focus on optimizing growth parameters, impurity control, and enhancement for superior diamonds.
  • Challenges include consistency, reducing defects, scalability, and reliance on high-purity raw materials.
  • Future focus on refining processes, improving sustainability, and enhancing research-industry collaboration.

Diamond Quality Checks & Certification (Continued): Key Takeaways

Strengthening quality assurance frameworks is essential to ensure consumer trust globally.

Grading LGDs differs from natural diamonds, especially in color; secondary reference masters needed.

Labs must assess hue saturation and intensity, not just color for LGDs.

Clarity characteristics differ due to metallic inclusions in LGDs.

Color grading challenges arise in borderline clusters where AI struggles.

LGDs are cut for perfection, unlike natural diamonds, which are cut for weight retention.

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National News

P N Gadgil Jewellers Delivers Record Q1 FY27 Revenue Of 24,130 Mn; With 41% Revenue Growth, 57% EBITDA Growth & 52% PAT Growth; YoY

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P N Gadgil Jewellers Limited, one of the most reputed jewellers in the country, boasting 194 years of excellence in craftsmanship and trusted service in the retail business of gold, silver, and diamond jewellery, announced its unaudited financial results for the quarter ended 30th June 2026.

Key Financial & Operational Highlights:

  • Retail Contribution: Retail sales continued to strengthen, with the retail share of total revenue increasing to 78% in Q1 FY27 from 70% in Q1 FY26, reflecting the Company’s continued focus on expanding its high-margin retail business.
  • Strong Same-Store Performance: The Company delivered a robust Same-Store Sales Growth (SSSG) of 46.1% YoY, driven by healthy customer footfalls and higher transaction volumes.
  • Improving Product Mix: The retail stud ratio improved to 10.9% from 9.9% in the previous quarter. Notably, the recently launched stores across Northern and Central India are delivering a significantly higher stud ratio in the range of 15% to 18%, validating the Company’s expansion strategy into markets with structurally higher demand for studded jewellery. Additionally, LiteStyle by PNG recorded an impressive stud ratio of 32.9%, highlighting strong customer acceptance of the newly launched lightweight jewellery brand.
  • Healthy Gold Retail Mix: Retail sales of Gold vedhani, bars and coins (GBC) accounted for 21.7% of total retail revenue during the quarter, while the average gold purchase per invoice is 4.84 grams. The Company’s (GBC) strategy continues to strengthen customer acquisition and retention, with the conversion to jewellery ratio improving to 53% in Q1 FY27 from 46% in FY26, and reinforcing the long-term value of this customer lifecycle strategy.
  • Retail Product-wise Performance: During the quarter, the diamond category continued to witness exceptional momentum, delivering 29% growth in value and 26% growth in volume, underscoring increasing customer preference for studded jewellery and supporting the Company’s premiumization strategy. The gold category recorded a robust 54% growth in value, while volumes remained broadly stable with only a 1% YoY moderation, reflecting healthy demand despite elevated gold prices. The silver category registered 131% growth in value, even as volumes softened slightly by 7% YoY.
  • Outstanding Festive Performance: The Company delivered a strong Akshay Tritiya performance, with festive sales increasing 80.3% YoY to Rs 2,514.1 Mn, driven by robust consumer demand, effective festive campaigns and continued market share gains during the festive season.
  • Higher Customer Engagement: Healthy customer acquisition continued across markets, with footfalls increasing 25.9% YoY to 214,587, while maintaining a robust conversion rate of 91.8%, reflecting strong brand recall, healthy demand and the Company’s ability to consistently convert store visits into purchases.
  • Growth in Transactions & Spending: Transaction volumes increased 26.3% YoY, while the Average Transaction Value (ATV) is Rs 92,264, indicating healthy customer engagement and higher spending per visit.

  • Strengthened Hedging Framework: The Company further enhanced its risk management practices by increasing its overall hedge coverage to approximately 70%, significantly reducing exposure to gold price volatility. The Company intends to increase hedge coverage to 80%+ in the near term, with a long-term objective of achieving near-full inventory hedge coverage (~100%), thereby enhancing earnings stability and reducing commodity price risk.
  • Underlying Operating Performance: The remaining unhedged inventory resulted in a unhedged gain of Rs 97 Mn during Q1 FY27, compared to Rs 101 Mn in Q1 FY26. Excluding this unhedged gain, Adjusted EBITDA increased to Rs 1,827 Mn from Rs 1,128 Mn, with the Adjusted EBITDA Margin improving to 7.6% from 6.6% in the corresponding quarter last year.
  • Adjusted Profitability: Excluding the net impact of the unhedged gain, Adjusted PAT stood at Rs 981 Mn in Q1 FY27, compared to Rs 618 Mn in Q1 FY26, translating into an Adjusted PAT Margin of 4.1%, as against 3.6% in the corresponding quarter last year.
  • Expansion Pipeline on Track: During the quarter, the Company remained focused on enhancing the productivity of its existing network while progressing site identification, franchise partner onboarding and operational readiness for its upcoming expansion, with a significant focus on Northern and Central region, in line with its growth strategy.

As of 30th June 2026, the Company operated 78 stores (77 in India and 1 in the U.S.A.). A few store launches are planned during Q2 FY27, with the majority of the year’s expansion scheduled across Q3 and Q4 FY27, in line with the Company’s phased rollout.

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