Deepa Jewellers Limited is launching an IPO comprising a fresh issue of ~₹250 Cr and an OFS of ~₹210 Cr. The company runs an asset-light B2B model, designing and processing hallmarked gold jewellery through a network of 41 outside karigars, and supplies across 14 states and UTs, mostly in South India.
IPO Summary
Introduction
India’s gold jewellery retail industry was worth ~₹10.62 lakh Cr in FY26 and is expected to grow to ~₹12.5 lakh Cr by FY30.
Most of that industry runs on a simple division of labour: retail chains and standalone stores sell to the public, but they rarely make what they sell. Someone else designs it, sources the gold, and gets it manufactured.
Deepa Jewellers is one of the companies that does that work, supplying hallmarked gold jewellery to retail chains and stores across South India, without selling a single piece to the end consumer.
They’re now raising money through an IPO consisting of a Fresh Issue of ₹250 Cr, and an Offer for Sale of ~₹210 Cr.
The Business Model
Deepa Jewellers is an organized B2B designer, processor and supplier of hallmarked gold jewellery. They sell to jewellery retail chains and standalone stores, not to the public. They serve 373 customers across 14 states and UTs, all over India, though their primary operations are in Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Their clients include large chains such as Joyalukkas India, Kalyan Jewellers and Lalithaa Jewellery Mart.
The company runs an asset-light model. It does not manufacture jewellery itself.
An in-house team of 15 designers creates the designs, the company buys and supplies the gold, and a network of 41 karigars, of whom 29 work under formal agreement, turn the metal into finished, hallmarked ornaments in exchange for a making charge.
This structure lets the company scale output without owning factories or carrying a large workforce.
Revenue comes from three streams:
- Sale of jewellery the company has had processed (99.00% of FY26 revenue),
- Job work for customers who supply their own raw material (0.89%), and
- Trading in silver ornaments, other karat gold and bullion (0.11%).
Two product lines, the Vaddanam (a traditional waist belt) and CNC machine cut bangles, make up ~73% of revenue.
Unit Economics (₹/10g of gold jewellery, FY26)
- Revenue per 10g rose sharply from ₹58,917 in FY24 to ~₹1.17 lakh in FY26, growth of 99%.
- Gross profit per 10g also rose from ₹2,300 in FY24 to ₹9,369 in FY26, a 4x increase.
- This was due to employee cost and other expenses per unit rising at a slower pace through the period, with employee costs even falling to ₹99 in FY25.
Operating Metrics
- Quantity sold fell from 1,889 kg in FY25 to 1,644 kg in FY26 but customer count grew from 195 to 214, meaning that existing customers are buying more.
- Exchange from Customers became an increasingly popular source for getting gold, going from just 27% of total gold sourced in FY24 to57% in FY26.
- Semi-finished 22 Kt gold ornaments’ share of raw material purchases more than tripled, from 4% in FY24 to 14% in FY26. Part-processed gold is likely bought to cut the work karigars need to do from scratch.
Financial Stuff
- Revenue from operations nearly doubled, from ₹1,025 crore in FY24 to ₹1,927 crore in FY26, growth of 88%. Most of that came from the rising gold price rather than higher volume, since quantity sold actually fell over the same period.
- EBITDA Margin rose from 3% to 8% and PAT Margin from 2% to 5% over FY24 to FY26.
- Depreciation is almost negligible in relation with revenue, consistent with an asset-light model that outsources manufacturing to karigars. That may change though, once a proposed in-house facility goes live.
Peer Comparison, FY26
- Deepa Jewellers’ EBITDA and PAT Margins of ~8% and ~5% respectively sit in the middle of the group.
- RBZ Jewellers, the smallest peer by revenue, earns the highest Margins at a ~14%, EBITDA Margin and ~9% PAT Margin, which suggests scale is not the only driver of success in this industry.
- Deepa’s D/E Ratio of 0.47x matches RBZ Jewellers, and is higher than Shanti Gold,, though lower than Sky Gold.
Key Risks
- Customer concentration.: Top 10 customers accounted for ~65% of revenue in FY26. The company has no long-term contracts with any of them. If a few large customers cut or delay orders, revenue would take a direct and immediate hit.
- Geographic concentration: Deepa’s South Indian presence has shaped its business strategy. But this also means that shifts in consumer behaviour, geopolitical tensions, regulatory and local market risks could disrupt supply chains, operations, and revenue.
- Gold price exposure: Average gold price rose 53% in FY26. The company’s hedging, through gold metal loans, futures contracts and an internal policy, does not cover 100% of inventory. A sharp fall in price after gold is bought would hurt margins on unsold stock, while a sharp rise could push retail customers to delay orders.
- Promoter linked liabilities: Promoters have given personal guarantees on ~₹115 Cr of company borrowings, and one promoter has mortgaged the company’s registered office, in favour of Yes Bank. The company also owed ~₹44 Cr in unsecured, on-demand loans from its promoters. A default on company debt or sudden recall of loans would strain both promoters and the company.
Conclusion
Deepa Jewellers turns gold into jewellery for other businesses to sell, and it does this with very few employees and almost no factory of its own. Revenue nearly doubled in two years, EBITDA Margin more than doubled, but the business rests on a short list of large customers and a small pool of outside artisans, and it does not fully hedge the gold it holds.
