How does the FTA affect Indian jewelry exports to the EU?

The FTA eliminates the 4% EU duty on finished jewelry and streamlines rules of origin for cut and polished diamonds. India processes over 90% of the world's diamonds and is a major gold jewelry manufacturer.

Where are India's major gems and jewelry production centers?

Surat is the world's diamond cutting capital, Mumbai is the trading hub, Jaipur specializes in colored gemstones and jewelry, and Thrissur (Kerala) is known for gold jewelry manufacturing.

What hallmarking standards apply for jewelry exports to the EU?

EU countries have varying hallmarking requirements. Most require fineness marks compliant with the Vienna Convention. Indian exporters should ensure BIS hallmarking and obtain necessary assay certificates for the target market.

Gems & Jewelry

4% duty elimination on finished jewelry — plus streamlined rules of origin for cut & polished diamonds

India and Europe share one of the world's most deeply intertwined gems and jewelry trade corridors. India processes roughly 90% of the world's diamonds by volume — predominantly through Surat's cutting and polishing industry — and accounts for a dominant share of global colored gemstone and gold jewelry manufacturing. The EU, in turn, is a critical destination for finished Indian jewelry and a major source of rough diamonds, particularly through Antwerp's trading houses. Bilateral trade in this sector stands at approximately €9.1 billion, driven by India's unmatched cost advantages in labor-intensive cutting, polishing, and artisanal jewelry fabrication.

The India–EU Free Trade Agreement is set to eliminate tariffs of up to 4% on finished jewelry and streamline rules of origin for cut and polished diamonds, giving Indian exporters improved price competitiveness against rivals in Thailand, China, and Turkey. For European buyers, this translates to lower landed costs on both volume-market pieces and bespoke high-jewelry commissions. Critically, the FTA simplifies the documentation burden around Kimberley Process compliance and hallmarking equivalency, which have historically added friction at the border.

For European manufacturers — particularly in Italy's Vicenza–Arezzo–Valenza triangle, Germany's Pforzheim cluster, and Belgium's Antwerp diamond quarter — the agreement opens reciprocal access to India's fast-growing domestic market, where a rising middle class is driving double-digit growth in branded jewelry retail. Both directions stand to benefit from mutual recognition frameworks around hallmarking standards, responsible sourcing certifications through the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), and GJEPC-facilitated trade promotion programs.