U.S. manufacturing is booming thanks to AI

data centers, and industrial companies such as Caterpillar

CAT

0.23%

increase; up pointing triangle, Eaton ETN -0.40%

decrease; down pointing triangle and Ford Motor F 3.46%increase; up pointing triangle are pivoting their business to seize the moment.

Manufacturing last month rose to its highest level since 2022, when the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic fueled a factory-production frenzy. Today, data centers and a handful of AI-related industries are driving the manufacturing sector, and companies in that sector are investing hundreds of millions of dollars to expand their lineups to capitalize on the opportunity.

The much-awaited Lalithaa Jewellery Mart IPO opened for subscription on August 17, 2026, giving investors a three-day window to bid for shares of the Chennai-based jewellery retailer. With the issue already commanding a 15% premium in the grey market, investor interest is expected to remain strong.

Lalithaa Jewellery Mart has fixed the IPO price band at Rs 190–Rs 201 per share. The Rs 1,700-crore issue comprises a fresh issue of Rs 1,200 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) of Rs 500 crore by promoter and founder Kiran Kumar Jain.

The IPO will open on August 17 and close on August 19, 2026. The share allotment is expected to be finalised on August 20, while the company’s shares are likely to make their debut on the NSE and BSE on August 24, subject to applicable timelines.

Anand Rathi Investment Banking and Equirus are the book-running lead managers for the issue, while MUFG has been appointed as the registrar.

Analysts believe the Lalithaa Jewellery Mart IPO could offer a potential long-term investment opportunity, given the company’s strong FY26 financial performance, attractive valuation and expansion plans

Lalithaa Jewellery secures Rs 508 crore from anchor investors

Lalithaa Jewellery Mart Limited has raised Rs 508.20 crore from anchor investors ahead of its IPO. The company informed the stock exchanges that it allotted 2,52,83,581 equity shares at Rs 201 apiece to 22 anchor investors. The anchor book saw participation from several prominent institutions, including Goldman Sachs Bank Europe SE – ODI, Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund Inc., Morgan Stanley Investment Funds Indian Equity Fund, Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Company Limited, Bajaj Life Insurance Limited, Greater India Portfolio and Sanshi Fund-I.

Lalithaa Jewellery Mart IPO Lot Size and Valuation

At the upper end of the price band, investors will need to pay Rs 14,874 for one lot of 74 shares. Bids can be placed in multiples of 74 shares thereafter.Of the net issue, excluding the employee portion, 50% has been reserved for qualified institutional buyers (QIBs). Up to 60% of the QIB allocation can be made available to anchor investors.

Retail investors have been allocated 35%, while 15% has been reserved for non-institutional investors.

One of the key attractions of the issue is its valuation. At the upper end of the price band, Lalithaa Jewellery Mart’s price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio based on diluted FY26 EPS stands at 9.95 times. At the lower end, the P/E works out to 9.41 times.

That compares favourably with the average industry peer-group P/E of 29.69 times for FY26, suggesting that the IPO is being offered at a relatively modest valuation compared with the broader industry. The floor price represents 38 times the face value, while the cap price represents 40.20 times the face value.

Lalithaa Jewellery IPO use of proceeds

Lalithaa Jewellery plans to deploy the net proceeds from its IPO primarily towards an ambitious retail expansion, earmarking funds to set up 10 new stores. Of the total Rs 1,033.23 crore proposed to be utilised, Rs 34.55 crore will go towards capital expenditure, including store fit-outs, furniture and fixtures, equipment, and IT hardware and software. The bulk of the proceeds—Rs 998.68 crore—will be invested in inventory required to launch and stock these new outlets.

The IPO proceeds therefore underline Lalithaa Jewellery’s strategy of strengthening its physical retail footprint and building inventory capacity to support future growth. While the lion’s share of the funds is directed towards inventory for the new stores, the remaining amount will be used for general corporate purposes, giving the company some flexibility to meet broader business requirements as it expands.

Strong FY26 financial performance

Lalithaa Jewellery Mart enters the IPO market after reporting a sharp improvement in its financial performance. The company’s total income jumped 48% year-on-year, rising from Rs 16,907.88 crore in FY25 to Rs 25,039.80 crore in FY26. Profitability saw an even stronger acceleration. Profit after tax (PAT) surged 177%, from Rs 364.73 crore in FY25 to Rs 1,009.82 crore in FY26.

About Lalithaa Jewellery Mart

The retailer sells gold, silver and diamond jewellery under the Lalithaa brand, with products tailored to regional preferences across southern India. It operates 61 stores across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

Tier II and Tier III cities account for 45 of its stores and contributed 60.25% of the company’s revenue in FY26.

Should you subscribe to the Lalithaa Jewellery Mart IPO?

According to brokerage firm Master Capital Services, India’s gold jewellery retail industry was valued at Rs 10,619 billion in Fiscal 2026, clocking an impressive ~20% CAGR between Fiscal 2022 and Fiscal 2026. However, with gold prices remaining elevated and volatile, growth is expected to moderate to 3–5% CAGR through Fiscal 2030.

The industry is also witnessing a clear shift towards organised retail. Regulatory tailwinds such as GST, hallmarking and HUID, coupled with evolving consumer preferences, are expected to accelerate the transition from unorganised to organised jewellery retail. Organised chains could capture 45–50% of the market by Fiscal 2030, while online jewellery is projected to contribute 9–11% of industry revenues.

South India continues to be the jewel in India’s jewellery consumption crown, accounting for nearly 40% of total demand. The regional market stood at approximately Rs 5,026 billion in Fiscal 2026 and is expected to grow at 6–7% CAGR, reaching Rs 6,200–6,600 billion by Fiscal 2030. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are likely to emerge as key growth markets, gradually gaining share.

Against this backdrop, Lalithaa Jewellery Mart Limited appears well placed to capitalise on the next phase of organised jewellery retail. Its strong South India footprint, particularly across Tier II and Tier III cities, gives it access to a large and evolving customer base. The company’s 61-store network, in-house manufacturing capabilities, large-format outlets, wide jewellery assortment and customer-focused schemes provide multiple levers for growth.

With favourable industry dynamics, rising organised retail penetration and a strong regional presence, the Lalithaa Jewellery Mart IPO could offer investors an interesting long-term opportunity to participate in India’s evolving jewellery consumption story.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

MELBOURNE — Victoria Police are investigating a report of sexual assault at a hotel in East Melbourne after the Sydney Swans confirmed that several of its players were involved in what the club described as an “alleged incident” following their Australian Football League match against Essendon on Sunday night.

The Swans issued a statement just after midday Monday confirming the involvement of multiple players, though the club did not name any individuals or provide details of what allegedly occurred. “The Swans have notified the AFL and relevant authorities and cannot provide further comment at this stage,” the club said in its statement.

Victoria Police separately confirmed detectives were investigating a report filed in connection with the incident. “Police are investigating a report of a sexual assault in East Melbourne on 17 August,” a police spokesperson said in a statement provided to Australian Associated Press. “The incident occurred at a hotel on Wellington Parade in the early hours of the morning.” The spokesperson added that the exact circumstances had yet to be established and that the investigation remained ongoing.

The alleged incident took place at the Pullman hotel in East Melbourne, where the Swans had been staying overnight following their 36-point victory over Essendon at the MCG on Sunday evening, a result that locked in second place on the AFL ladder and secured the club a home qualifying final as the finals series approaches. Marked and unmarked police vehicles were seen outside the hotel Monday morning as the investigation got underway.

Sydney Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich addressed media at a brief press conference at the club’s headquarters Monday afternoon that lasted less than a minute. Pavlich told reporters the club was still working to establish the full details of what had taken place. “We’re still piecing together exactly what’s transpired here and have our own set of internal inquiries ongoing,” he said. He described the club as “extremely shocked and disappointed” that the situation had arisen and acknowledged that speculation was likely to follow given the intense public interest in the matter, but said the club’s ability to comment further was limited while the case remained a police matter.

The Swans have not identified which or how many players were involved in the alleged incident, and no charges had been announced as of Monday afternoon. The club said it was cooperating with both the AFL and Victoria Police as the investigation continues.

The timing of the alleged incident places it in the middle of a pivotal stretch of the AFL season for Sydney. The club has posted 17 wins so far in the 2026 season and enters the final round of the home-and-away campaign sitting in second place on the ladder, with finals football set to begin within weeks. The Swans are next scheduled to play at home at the Sydney Cricket Ground against North Melbourne.

The club’s win over Essendon on Sunday had been viewed as a significant result in Sydney’s push toward a strong finals position, making the emergence of the investigation just hours later a jarring turn for a team otherwise in the midst of a successful late-season run.

News of the investigation broke as one of several major stories developing across the Australian news cycle Monday, drawing significant public attention and prompting widespread commentary on social media even as the club and police both stressed that specific details of the alleged incident had not yet been established.

This is not the first time the AFL has faced scrutiny over allegations involving player conduct while traveling for matches. The league has previously dealt with a number of investigations into off-field incidents involving players from various clubs, and the code has faced ongoing questions in recent years about the culture surrounding player behavior during interstate trips and post-match celebrations. Monday’s developments are likely to renew those broader conversations even as the specific facts of this case remain under investigation.

The Pullman hotel on Wellington Parade, where Sunday night’s alleged incident occurred, is a frequently used accommodation option for AFL clubs traveling to Melbourne for away matches, given its proximity to the MCG and other major sporting venues in the city.

Neither the Swans nor Victoria Police provided a timeline for when the investigation might conclude or when further information might be released. Police statements emphasized that the circumstances of the alleged incident were still being established, language commonly used in the early stages of a criminal investigation before charges, if any, are laid.

The AFL itself had not issued a separate public statement on the matter as of Monday afternoon, though the Swans said in their statement that the league had been formally notified. Under the AFL’s integrity and conduct policies, clubs are generally required to inform the league of any incidents involving player behavior that could affect the code’s reputation or that may become the subject of a police investigation.

For now, the situation remains fluid, with both the club and police declining to speculate on outcomes while the investigation is active. Pavlich’s comments Monday suggested the club itself was still gathering information through its own internal processes, running in parallel with the police investigation but separate from it.

The Swans are expected to continue preparations for their final home-and-away match against North Melbourne as the police investigation proceeds, though it remains unclear whether the situation will have any immediate impact on team selection or availability heading into that fixture or the finals series beyond it.

As with any active criminal investigation, further details are expected to emerge as police work continues, and both Victoria Police and the Swans indicated additional information would be released only once appropriate and once the facts of the case have been more clearly established.