Starting a gold jewellery store in India — a practical playbook
Licences, hallmarking, sourcing, working capital and how OEM partners reduce risk.
Licences and registrations
At minimum you need GST registration, a BIS retailer licence (mandatory to sell hallmarked gold), a Shops & Establishment registration and PAN/TAN. For ₹2 lakh+ transactions you must also be set up for PAN collection. Plan four to six weeks for paperwork.
Sourcing — buy stock or partner?
Outright stock purchase ties up enormous working capital — a 200-piece display can demand ₹1.5–3 crore in gold alone. Most new retailers reduce this by working with an OEM manufacturer like Ambaa Gold on a consignment or gold-loan basis: we supply the stock against secured gold, you pay against actual sales.
This single arrangement is what separates retailers who scale from retailers who stall.
Hallmarking, packaging and brand
Every piece you sell must be hallmarked — partner with a manufacturer who handles BIS hallmarking in-house, with your retailer mark, so the piece arrives ready for the showcase. Custom packaging and a clear buy-back / exchange policy printed on the invoice are the two cheapest brand-building tools available to a new store.
Where Ambaa Gold fits
We supply, hallmark, brand-mark and pack jewellery for retailers across India. Lead times for stock catalogue pieces are 1–2 weeks; custom orders 3–6 weeks. Speak with our wholesale desk on +91 98696 09368 to discuss a pilot programme.
