Surat: India’s gem and jewellery exports stayed largely flat in July and posted growth for the first four months of the fiscal year, with strong demand for studded gold, silver and platinum jewellery helping offset weakness in traditional diamond shipments.According to the latest export figures released by the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), gross exports stood at $2.35 billion in July 2026, compared with $2.34 billion in July 2025, a marginal rise of 0.38%. For the April-July period, exports increased 2.44% year-on-year to $9.17 billion.Value-added jewellery categories drove growth. Studded gold jewellery exports rose by 21.09% to $2.24 billion during the four-month period. Silver jewellery recorded the sharpest increase, rising by 72.19% to $508.18 million. Platinum jewellery exports climbed 17.20% to $77.82 million.Polished lab-grown diamond exports grew 7.47% to $408.50 million between April and July, signalling continued demand for newer product segments despite uncertainty in global markets.In July, exports of gold jewellery, both plain and studded, rose 8.73% year-on-year to $1.04 billion, supported by demand from the UAE, Hong Kong, Singapore and the UK. Studded gold jewellery exports jumped 21.36% to $569.44 million, while plain gold jewellery exports fell by 3.42% to $471.42 million.Traditional diamond exports continued to struggle. Cut and polished diamond shipments fell by 18.23% year-on-year to $876.39 million in July from $1.07 billion a year earlier. Polished lab-grown diamond exports for the month also declined by 8.23% to $112.26 million from $122.32 million in July 2025.Kirit Bhansali, chairman of GJEPC, said value-added segments were helping the industry stay resilient amid global headwinds.He added that IIJS Bharat Premiere 2026, held recently in Mumbai, attracted more than 61,000 visitors, including over 5,000 international buyers from 80 countries. Business generated at the show is expected to translate into export shipments in the coming months.Bhansali also welcomed the Taxation and Other Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, saying its provision granting a 15-year income tax exemption to foreign companies trading rough diamonds through Special Notified Zones could strengthen India’s position as a global diamond trading hub.
