Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** India has imposed stricter limits on duty-free gold imports for jewelry exporters, capping them at 100 kg per license, following a sharp tariff hike on gold and silver to 15%. These measures aim to curb imports and ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
India on Thursday tightened rules for duty-free gold imports for jewelry exports by capping imports at 100 kilograms per license, the government said in an order, as the world’s second-largest consumer of the precious metal seeks to curb imports. The South Asian country earlier this week raised import tariffs on gold and silver to 15 percent from 6 percent as part of efforts to reduce overseas purchases of the metals and ease pressure on foreign exchange reserves from higher oil prices.
India is one of the world’s leading exporters of gold jewelry, and New Delhi allows manufacturers and jewelers to import gold without paying duty for export purposes under the advance authorization scheme. The government revised import rules for jewelry exporters on Thursday by capping gold imports at 100 kilograms per license and linking future licenses to fulfilment of at least 50 percent of earlier export obligations. First-time applicants will also face mandatory physical inspections of manufacturing facilities by regional authorities to verify the unit’s existence, production capacity and operational status, according to the order.
License holders must additionally submit fortnightly reports, certified by an independent chartered accountant, detailing gold imports and exports conducted under the scheme.
India’s gold jewelry exports, including both plain and studded segments, stood at $11.36 billion in the 2025/26 fiscal year ended in March, according to data compiled by the Gem and Jewelry Export Promotion Council.