One year of IAGES building trust and transforming how India buys gold

VMPL

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 12: As the Indian Association for Gold Excellence & Standards (IAGES) marks its first anniversary, gold buying in India will never be the same again. The Self-Regulatory Organisation which was formed by and for the gold industry a year ago and has since, reinstated trust, transparency, accountability and ethical business practices across the entire value chain with its stringent Code of Conduct for businesses in a country where the gold sector has been highly unorganised and fragmented.

Over the course of the past year, IAGES has built one of India's largest and fastest-growing networks of verified gold businesses comprising over 140 accredited partners spread across 750 stores in 235 cities. Its accredited members include refiners, bullion traders, manufacturers, wholesalers, assaying and hallmarking centres, retailers and digital gold retailers, all bound by one standard, stringent code of conduct designed to uphold ethical, transparent, and responsible business practices.

"The idea of IAGES was conceptualized by World Gold Council in 2024 on how we can shift India's gold-buying mindset from fear, cynicism and distrust to trust, confidence, and faith in the ecosystem. A year ago, IAGES was created to benefit gold businesses with a valuable third-party-accessed accreditation but also consumers, through a network of trusted and verified gold businesses and jewellers. When the gold-buying mindset changes at the root level, the industry eventually evolves at large. Over the next 3-5 years, we see India's gold industry at par with the ethics and business practices of some of the world's most developed gold markets," said Kaushlendra Sinha, CEO, IAGES.

IAGES has also spent most part of the year tirelessly educating consumers via its ongoing 'Before you exchange or buy gold, #PehlaCheckIAGES' campaign,' on how to buy gold only from verified sources. Over 50 million consumers have been reached through outdoor advertising, metro branding, digital platforms, and social media initiatives as part of the umbrella campaign.

To change the gold-buying mindset in India and empower consumers with the right tools to make informed decisions, IAGES also launched its Accredited Partner Directory, a first-of-its-kind platform that allows users to search for verified gold businesses by brand, location, or category before they step out to buy or exchange gold. The online directory continues to attract massive number of visitors every day.

Consumers can find some of India's most reputed brands like GRT, Senco, PNG, Jos Alukkas, WHP, Orient Jewellers, Lagu Bandhu, Pothys, Thangamayil and Jagannath Pednekar as well as small and medium regional and city-based retailers, in the directory.

IAGES celebrated its first anniversary at its Annual Meet 2026 in Mumbai, where IAGES accredited partners, industry leaders, and stakeholders from across the gold value chain came together at a glittering event to reflect on the year's progress. As IAGES enters its second year, it builds on the momentum gathered with the success of all its initiatives and continues to expand its accredited network and reach out to more consumers pan India.

The IAGES Accredited Partner Directory can be viewed at: https://www.iages.com/accredited-partners

To know more, visit www.iages.com or call the toll-free number 1800 309 2424.

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