New Delhi, May 14 -- The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has tightened monitoring of duty-free gold imports under the Advance Authorisation (AA) scheme, capping imports at 100 kilograms per authorisation and introducing stricter compliance checks, according to a Commerce Ministry notification issued on Thursday.

The move comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged citizens to reduce gold purchases and channel savings towards productive investments, amid concerns over rising gold imports and pressure on India's trade balance.

In a Public Notice dated May 14, the DGFT said it has inserted five new notes under the Standard Input Output Norms (SIONs) for gems and jewellery exports "with immediate effect."

The notice sta...