From new materials and lightweight designs to emerging suppliers, wider sourcing and stronger seasonal relevance, COUTURE India 2026 showed how the format has evolved, discovers Preeti Kulkarni
As COUTURE India enters its 11th edition, its evolution is increasingly visible in what exhibitors are creating, what retailers are seeking and how buyers are approaching the show. For participants who have experienced earlier editions, COUTURE India 2026 stood out for its greater variety, experimentation with materials, emergence of new suppliers and closer alignment with retail requirements.
For Sachin Jain of the World Gold Council, who has been attending COUTURE India for several years, the change has been evident over time. “I’ve seen an uplifted sense of design, uplifted sense of curation,” he said, adding that this year he saw “a lot of innovation” and “different usages, different materials.”
Jain also pointed to the presence of new participants. “Some of the new suppliers and people that I’ve never seen before” were among the elements that made this edition different for him.
One of the strongest differences emerging from the 2026 edition was the way designers and manufacturers are approaching materials.
Ankit Malpani of Jewelry by Art identified “variety” and the “distinct use of materials” as his biggest takeaways from the show. He also pointed to a broader interpretation of luxury, with jewellery moving beyond the traditional emphasis on gold.
“People [are] going beyond the gold,” Malpani said, adding that luxury can make consumers aware of “things beyond brands.”
His own collection reflected that approach. This year, Jewelry by Art brought together Colombian emeralds and Tanzanite with other materials, using different combinations to create a distinct design expression.
“We try to upgrade the materials,” Malpani said, describing the approach to the collection.
The change is not simply about introducing more gemstones. It reflects a wider attempt to make material selection and design itself a point of differentiation.
The other notable shift at COUTURE India 2026 came from manufacturers responding to the realities of the current gold market.
Mansukh Kothari of Vasupati Jewellers India Pvt Ltd, who has participated in COUTURE India since its first edition, said the company had adapted its collections to the prevailing market conditions.
“Seeing the gold prices and the demand, what is there in the market, so we added a lot of lightweight,” Kothari said.
The objective, however, was not to compromise on appearance. “Keeping the overall look same and making the jewellery light,” he explained.
This marks an important development in the couture conversation. Lightweight jewellery is being considered not simply as an everyday or value-oriented proposition, but as a way of maintaining design appeal while responding to gold prices and consumer purchasing considerations.
The 2026 edition also brought a stronger focus on discovery.
Jain noted that he encountered suppliers and participants who were new to him, while Malav Jhaveri of Aaroh Jewels highlighted the growing number of designers and choices available to retailers.
“The show is getting bigger and better,” Jhaveri said. “There are so many options for the retailers to come and see.”
He also pointed to the development in design. “There are so many more designers and people with so much better designing and amazing stuff at the show,” he said.
For Jhaveri, the discovery extended beyond the established jewellery centres. “I got to meet a lot of people from a lot of different parts of India,” he said, adding that he was also looking for designers from “tier 2 and tier 3 cities.”
This makes the discovery of new talent one of the more visible differences between the current edition and the experience of previous shows.
The timing of the 2026 edition also emerged as an important factor for retailers.
Jhaveri described the timing as “amazing”, explaining that the show comes immediately before the wedding season.
“It is right before the wedding season and the purchases for the wedding season start right after Shraadh,” he said. “It is the perfect timing for the show.”
The timing gives the collections immediate relevance. Retailers attending the show can use the platform not only to identify new design directions but also to assess products for the upcoming wedding and festive season.
That connection between discovery and immediate retail planning adds another dimension to COUTURE India's role.
For Kothari, the evolution of the show is also reflected in the quality of interaction between exhibitors and buyers.
“Being a peaceful and focused show, good conversation, good understanding happens between the buyers and the sellers,” he said.
At the 2026 edition, Vasupati Jewellers also connected with new buyers. Kothari said the company had established connections with “5 to 7 new buyers”.
For an exhibitor who has participated since the first edition, the ability to continually create new buyer connections is an important marker of the show's development.
Across the four perspectives, the difference in COUTURE India 2026 is less about one dominant jewellery trend and more about the widening scope of the show.
Sachin Jain saw greater innovation, different materials and new suppliers. Ankit Malpani pointed to variety and the movement beyond gold and conventional brand-led luxury. Mansukh Kothari highlighted lightweight jewellery as a response to gold prices while retaining the overall design. Malav Jhaveri saw a broader pool of designers, new sourcing opportunities and stronger relevance to the wedding-season buying cycle.
Together, these perspectives suggest that the couture proposition is becoming more diverse.
The show is no longer only about presenting high-value jewellery. It is increasingly about how that value is created—through material combinations, design, craftsmanship, lighter construction, new talent and the ability to offer retailers something they have not seen before.
And perhaps that is the clearest difference in COUTURE India 2026: the definition of what makes jewellery “couture” appears to be expanding, with the focus shifting from preciousness alone towards originality, discovery and retail relevance.
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