or long, gold and diamond hogged the limelight in the Indian jewellery market, while silver was the poor cousin. That was why Agra Chains Private Ltd (ACPL) stepped in to try and reset the balance and launch Taraash, a silver jewellery brand, in November 2002. ACPL knew exactly what it was doing. For nearly six decades, Rs 233-crore company had been exporting silver jewellery to 37 countries. In the West, unlike in India, silver jewellery is a major fashion statement.

So, does ACPL see branded silver jewellery becoming a hit in India? According to the company, there is a great demand for silver in its various forms with the youth (ACPL�s target age group is 20-30) driving sales. Moreover, since buying jewellery is no longer restricted to a few occasions, the affordable price points of silver jewellery make it quite attractive. "Brand consciousness is increasing among Indian jewellery consumers," says Umesh Chandra Gupta, director, ACPL. The young brand contributed Rs 2 crore out of ACPL�s domestic sales of Rs 17 crore in 2004-05.... more