From silver and diamonds to premium consumption, the 12th Retail Jeweller India Forum (RJIF) outlined the strategies, systems and leadership priorities driving India’s jewellery retail industry forward
Mumbai: The 12th Retail Jeweller India Forum (RJIF), held on January 7, 2026 in Mumbai, brought together leading stakeholders across the industry, including prominent retail jewellers, for a day of conversations around influences shaping the industry and the ideas that will guide its future growth.
The forum reflected evolving consumer behaviour, the rise of new growth categories and a stronger focus on trust, systems and differentiated retail propositions.
The launch of Deloitte’s ‘Go for Gold: A Winning Playbook for the Gems and Jewellery Industry’ set the course for the day and discussions around long-term industry direction. In his headline session later in the day, Praveen Govindu, Partner, Deloitte India, presented the highlights of the research report.
Addressing the forum at the very outset in his inaugural speech, Sachin Jain, Regional CEO (India) of the World Gold Council, said, “It is important to look beyond headline numbers and understand the five Ds that define our nation—democracy, demography, diversity, diaspora and digitization. India’s position as the world’s largest democracy gives us stability, but it is our young population, our cultural diversity, our global diaspora and our rapid digitization that truly shape the future of business and consumption in this country.”
Discussions on leadership transition and reinvention featured in the panel ‘Young Turks: Reinventions, Strategic Shifts, Disruptions to Adapt to Changing Market Conditions and Grow the Business’. The session brought together Aditya Pednekar of Jagannath Gangaram Pednekar Jewellers, Viraj Sheth of Batukbhai Sons Jewellers, Nandadulal Debnath of Radha Krishna Jewellery, Vivan Ranka of Ranka Jewellers and Mohit Pachchigar of Pachchigar & Sons Jewellers, for a discussion moderated by Akshay Verma of Verma Jewellers. The conversation focused on how emerging leaders are approaching growth through professional business operations, sharper back-end systems and a balanced approach to legacy and modern retail demands.
During his special spark session on ‘Building Consumer Trust through Transparency and Compliance,’ Kaushlendra Sinha, CEO, Indian Association for Gold Excellence and Standards (IAGES) said,“While the World Gold Council has been a key partner, true credibility comes from collective effort. To ensure that our accreditation carries real credibility with consumers, we have signed MoUs with national institutions that are statutory bodies established by Acts of Parliament. Through these partnerships, we are training practitioners in our code of conduct, strengthening trust and governance across the industry.”
Taking the stage for another spark session ‘From Counter to Confidence’, Amit Pratihari, Managing Director of Gemological Institute of America (GIA) India said, “Many in this industry come from legacy family businesses where trust takes decades to build but only a moment to lose. A verified product, a well-trained team and technology that removes doubt and fear must work together seamlessly to sustain that trust in the modern jewellery retail environment.”
Silver’s growing relevance merited the panel discussion ‘Silver at the Forefront: Retail Edge, Consumer Demand, and the Growth Trajectory’. Ajith Singh of Shaya by CaratLane, Shradha Keshri of Hira Panna Jewellers, Manish Gulechha of Kushals Fashion & Silver Jewellery and Prabakaran Radhakrishnan of Divas Mantra discussed how silver jewellery is evolving beyond entry-level positioning. The session highlighted faster inventory movement, design-led demand and silver’s role in attracting younger and value-conscious consumers, in a lively discussion moderated by Sayalee Marathe of House of Aadyaa.
The first half of the day was wrapped up by a session on ‘Unlocking Hidden Revenue from Every Customer Conversation with Photios AI’ presented by Kabir Khattar, CEO, Photios AI.
Premium consumption and affluent customer growth formed the core of the next panel ‘The Premium Business: Capitalising on the Emerging League of Indian Millionaires’. Participants Akash Diwan of H. M. Diwan Jewellers, Manik Jain of ISVARI Jalandhar Jewellery House, Neerav Challa of PMJ Jewels and Ayush Khurana of Khurana Jewellery House discussed how premium jewellery retail is expanding beyond traditional strongholds. Experience-led retail, clear brand identities and focused client engagement emerged as key themes, during the discussion brilliantly moderated by Abhishek Raniwala of Raniwala 1881.
The natural diamond opportunity was in strategic focus in the panel ‘India’s Diamond Opportunity: Tapping into the Latent Market Potential of Natural Diamonds’. The session featured Aviral Prakash of Abhushan Gold and Diamonds, Neil Sonawala of Zen Diamond India, Oushnik Chandra of P.C. Chandra Jewellers, Shreyansh Kapoor of Kashi Jewellers and Riva Dhir of Dhirsons Jewellers. Moderated by Ishu Datwani of Anmol Jewellers, the discussion centred on strengthening consumer education, reinforcing value perception and ensuring consistent retail communication to support demand for natural diamonds.
The highlight of the day’s proceedings at the forum was the fireside chat themed ‘Leading the Way for Diamond Retailing Transformation in India’ featuring Shweta Harit, CEO, Forevermark, in conversation with Soma Bhatta, Founder and Editor, Retail Jeweller India. The discussion explored how diamond retail is evolving, the role of trust-led storytelling, and the balance between staying relevant and staying credible. It touched upon the important role of brands and retailers in responding to changing market dynamics.
The 12th Retail Jeweller India Forum was presented by the Indian Natural Diamond Retailer Alliance (INDRA), the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and the Indian Association for Gold Excellence and Standards (IAGES). It wasfollowed by the 5th MD & CEO Awards presentation ceremony, recognizing excellence in leadership and professional management across the jewellery retail industry.
Overall, RJIF 2026 reflected an industry that is becoming more specialized, more execution-focused and increasingly aligned around product, process and consumer expectations.
Retail Jeweller India Exclusive
