New Delhi, Sept. 7 -- India's art market is entering a new phase as rising auction values, more buyers, and greater transparency reshape the market that was once largely confined to a small group of collectors.

Auction sales surged 43.7% year-on-year to Rs.1,548.9 crore in the first half of 2026, even as the number of works offered remained broadly unchanged. The growth could have further to run, veteran Mumbai gallerist and auctioneer Dadiba Pundole told Mint.

Pundole believes art is now firmly established as an investment category rather than a passing trend, with the bigger opportunity in the country's still-small base of serious collectors relative to its growing pool of wealthy individuals. "Now, it's quite clear that art is here a...