Amid tight budgets, gold shines this Akshaya Tritiya on demand boost

Festive sentiment lifts gold and jewellery demand this Akshaya Tritiya, but high prices keep budgets tight, pushing buyers toward lower grammage and investment-led purchases

There has been a traction in demand for bullion and wedding jewellery led by a correction in gold prices on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, which falls on Sunday and Monday this year. 

While footfalls may be tempered in some markets and budgets continue to remain the same, the quantity customers are getting is lower. This is owing to a sharp rise in gold prices compared to last year. Even so, the sentiment remains buoyant for people looking to invest. 

In New Delhi’s famed jewellery market, Dariba Kalan, the excitement is palpable. “With the festival falling on two days, the crowd is not very large, but sales momentum remains strong. We are seeing a healthy demand for both silver and gold coins, as well as gold jewellery items like rings and necklaces. It is an auspicious day and despite elevated prices of both the precious metals, the demand remains strong. It is also being helped by the upcoming wedding season,” said Gaurav Gupta, owner of Radhey Kishan Gopal Kishan jewellers and treasurer of the market association. 

For Tarun Gupta, owner of Ratan Chand Jwala Nath Jewellers down the lane, business has returned to normal. 

“People have adjusted to the new gold prices and are buying both coins and jewellery with gusto. We are pleasantly surprised to see demand rise for heavy jewellery as the wedding season draws closer,” he said. In Mumbai’s Zaveri Bazaar, some of the stores remain shut because they are celebrating the festival on Monday. However, in the run-up to Akshaya Tritiya, gold bullion demand has been up by 20 per cent while wedding jewellery demand has been much higher. 

“Demand has been strong and is 20 per cent higher compared to last year as pre-bookings have been strong. In wedding jewellery, we are seeing many customers walking in to exchange old gold jewellery,” said Kumar Jain, owner of a century-old jewellery store, Umedlal Tilokchand Zaveri at Zaveri Bazaar. 

At Mumbai-based jeweller Popley & Sons demand remains higher compared to last year and is purely investment driven.

“Customers typically look for less value-addition and stick to buying bullion. Customer budgets have not increased compared to last year; so they are buying lower grammage,” said Rajiv Popley, director of Popley Group. He, however, pointed out that the morale continues to remain high. 

For organised retailers, too, business has been brisk and customers are opting for home deliveries, pushing demand for bullion on online platforms. 

“We’ve already started seeing increased footfall since opening at 8 am, and with stores open till midnight, we expect the rush to build through the day. Customer excitement is high, driven by the auspiciousness of Akshaya Tritiya and our offers like 50 per cent off on making charges and 15 per cent off on diamond prices. We’re also seeing many pre-booked orders being collected today, adding to the overall momentum,” said Shaifali Gautam, chief marketing officer, CaratLane. 

All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council estimates that 18 to 20 tonnes of business has been recorded. South India picked up momentum early and delivered the first strong reports.

 

"We have recorded robust growth across our pan-Indian network. Since the muhurat commenced, there has been a steady influx of customers at showrooms, reflecting positive consumer sentiment. Performance across the country remains consistently high, with markets in the North, West, and parts of South India showing particularly strong momentum," said Ramesh Kalyanaraman, executive director at Kalyan Jewellers. At the chain, intent-led demand for bridal jewellery was balanced by traditional ‘shagun’ purchases such as gold coins and even silver coins, artefacts, and jewellery. "With the Muhurat spanning two days this year, we expect demand momentum to remain resilient through the night. Our integration with quick-commerce platforms has been pivotal in ensuring high accessibility for convenience-led and last-minute purchases," he added. 

 At Amazon India, demand has seen a strong jump. “Ahead of Akshaya Tritiya, we are seeing strong momentum, with gold jewellery growing around 2 times, silver 2.5 times and coins around 2 times year-on-year (Y-o-Y). Jewellery is increasingly being seen as both a trusted investment and everyday self-expression, with fine jewellery growing around 2 times and precious jewellery 3.7 times,” said Siddharth Bhagat – director, fashion and beauty at Amazon India. 

Quick commerce platform Instamart had partnered Kalyan Jewellers to facilitate gold rate protection, a feature that lets consumers lock daily gold rate and buy on the day of Akshaya Tritiya, for whichever price is lower — the lock-in price or the market rate on that day. 

Between April 10 and April 16, 2026, consumers could select eligible Kalyan Jewellers gold coins on the Instamart app and pay 5 per cent advance, starting from ₹500 for a 0.5 gm gold coin to prebook and take delivery on Akshaya Tritiya. 

“The gold rate protection is a feature designed to help consumers navigate gold prices with greater confidence during the festival. By allowing users to secure a price in advance while still benefiting from any price drops, we strive to offer strong overall value to consumers. This is quick commerce going beyond convenience to deliver meaningful value on culturally significant purchases,” Arjun Choudhary, VP growth, Instamart at Instamart said.