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NEW DELHI: India has restricted the import of some alloys that contain more than 1% gold by weight and certain colloidal precious metals to regulate the import of gold in the garb of chemical compounds or any other form, officials said on Thursday.
Industrial users can, however, import such alloys against an import authorisation, an official added.
The import restrictions are applicable on palladium, rhodium, and iridium alloys in any form (unwrought or powder) consisting of more than 1% gold. A separate order, also issued on Tuesday, restricted import of colloidal precious metals, which refers to suspensions of gold and silver nanoparticles in a liquid.
“The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has issued Notification No. 18/2025-26 dated 17th June 2025, to restrict import of alloys of Palladium, Rhodium, and Iridium containing more than 1% gold by weight,” the commerce ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
This measure expands upon the existing restriction on the import of platinum, thereby ensuring uniformity in the import policy governing precious metals and their alloys, it said.
On March 5, the government shifted platinum alloy imports from the free category to the restricted category, except for 99% pure platinum alloy.
“At the same time, the policy facilitates trade by allowing free import of alloys containing less than 1% gold, thereby ensuring continued availability of inputs for industrial and manufacturing sectors, including electronics, auto components, and specialised chemical industries, without disruption,” the ministry said.
This calibrated approach balances trade facilitation with the need for regulatory oversight, it added.
The restrictions have been imposed against the backdrop of rising gold imports.
India’s gold imports jumped by over 27.3% from $45.54 billion in 2023-24 to $58 billion in 2024-25.
In March 2025 alone, it saw a sharp jump of over 192% to $4.47 billion as compared to $1.53 billion in the same month last year. Strict monitoring and restrictions saw about a 4% dip in gold imports during the first two months of the current financial year (April-May of FY26) to $5.65 billion as against $5.87 billion in April-May of FY25.
