Mumbai
oi-Prakash KL
A family from Pulgaon in Maharashtra has chosen to refurbish an old gold mangalsutra instead of purchasing new gold for their son’s wedding, citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for responsible spending and reduced dependence on gold imports.
The Chaubey family said their decision was guided by both economic prudence and a sense of national responsibility. Rather than buying a new mangalsutra for the bride, they redesigned and repurposed an existing family heirloom.
A Chaubey family from Pulgaon, Maharashtra, refurbished old gold for their son’s wedding, inspired by PM Modi’s appeal to reduce imports amid a 60% surge ($9.04B) in national gold imports early this fiscal year.
Seema Chaubey explained that the family views Prime Minister Modi as an important part of their extended family and was influenced by his recent call to avoid unnecessary gold purchases.
“Considering the current economic situation of the country, we decided it would be in the national interest not to buy new gold at this time. Instead, we used our old gold and redesigned it into a new mangalsutra for the bride,” she said, adding that the family had even written to the Prime Minister expressing their sentiments.
Her husband, Satis Gaurishankar Chaubey, described the move as an emotional yet practical decision.
Wardha, Maharashtra: A family from Pulgaon, Maharashtra decided to reuse and refurbish an old gold mangalsutra instead of buying a new one for their son’s wedding, inspired by PM Modi’s appeal for responsible spending
Seema Chaubey says, “We consider Prime Minister Modi as a key… pic.twitter.com/kvoQWCIwEk
— IANS (@ians_india) June 17, 2026
“Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal, our family decided not to purchase new gold for my son’s wedding. This has not only helped us save money but has also contributed, in our own way, to the national interest,” he said.
Their son, Yash Chaubey, praised the government’s economic initiatives, highlighting programmes such as Make in India, digitalisation, and the UPI payment ecosystem.
“These are significant achievements that have strengthened India’s economy and earned global recognition. We felt it was important to support the broader vision behind such initiatives,” he said.
The family’s decision comes amid growing concerns over India’s rising gold imports. According to data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India imported gold worth $9.04 billion during the first two months of the current financial year, marking a 60 per cent increase compared to the same period last year.
Economic experts have cautioned that sustained high gold imports could put pressure on the country’s trade deficit and foreign exchange reserves. Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), noted that strong gold imports continue to contribute to foreign-exchange outflows despite higher import duties.
Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Modi appealed to citizens on May 10 to refrain from buying gold for a year in an effort to help protect India’s foreign exchange reserves and support economic stability. Shortly after the appeal, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) raised the gold import duty from 6 per cent to 15 per cent, the largest such increase on record.
For the Chaubey family, the decision to recycle old gold was more than a financial choice-it was a symbolic gesture aligning personal celebrations with what they see as a larger national cause.
