The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has announced new regulations for duty-free gold imports, effective immediately. Under these regulations, the quantity of gold that can be imported under an Advance Authorisation (AA) is limited to 100 kilograms per licence. First-time applicants will need a mandatory physical inspection of their manufacturing facility by regional authorities to confirm operational capacity before receiving authorisation. For repeat applicants, new authorisations will only be granted after fulfilling at least 50% of the export obligations from previous authorisations. Additionally, AA holders must provide fortnightly performance reports on their gold imports and exports, certified by an independent Chartered Accountant. These measures come in response to India's gold imports, which surged to an all-time high of $71.98 billion in 2025-26, despite a 4.76% decline in volume to 721.03 tonnes. The increase in import duties from 6% to 15% aims to curb the growing import bill and prevent the rise of a grey market, as warned by the All India Gems and Jewellery Council.