India’s jewellery industry is witnessing a major shift as younger consumers move toward smarter, more transparent, and lifestyle-driven purchases. At the forefront of this transformation is MOĒNA, a Bengaluru-based lab-grown diamond jewellery brand founded by Himanshu Gupta.

With experience at companies like Udaan and BeepKart, along with a strong family background in jewellery, Himanshu is building MOĒNA around a simple idea — making premium diamond jewellery more accessible, wearable, and relevant for modern consumers.

In this exclusive interaction with Indian Startup Times, Himanshu Gupta talks about the rise of lab-grown diamonds in India, changing customer behaviour, trust-building in jewellery retail, and MOĒNA’s long-term vision.

Bringing Diamonds Within Reach

For Himanshu, the inspiration behind MOĒNA came from a problem he had seen closely while growing up in a jewellery family. Diamonds were always aspirational, but for most people, they remained financially out of reach.

When he began exploring the lab-grown diamond segment, he realised technology had completely changed the economics of diamond jewellery. Products that once cost several lakhs could now be purchased at a fraction of the price while maintaining the same visual brilliance and craftsmanship.

He saw this not as a discount-driven opportunity, but as a complete category shift. While global markets had already started embracing lab-grown diamonds, India was still in the early stages, creating a strong opportunity to build a modern jewellery brand around this transition.

Combining Traditional Jewellery Values with Modern Retail

According to Himanshu, jewellery has always been emotional. Whether it is an engagement ring, anniversary gift, or personal milestone, every purchase carries meaning beyond the product itself.

What has changed, however, is the way consumers discover and shop for jewellery.

Today’s buyers begin their journey online through Instagram, Google searches, videos, and customer reviews before entering a store. MOĒNA was built to bridge this online-to-offline journey by offering a retail experience that feels modern, transparent, and comfortable for younger consumers.

The company focuses on creating a buying experience that is informative rather than intimidating, especially for first-time diamond buyers.

How Indian Consumers Are Changing

Himanshu believes one of the biggest changes in India’s jewellery market is that diamonds are no longer being purchased only for lockers or weddings. Consumers today want jewellery they can wear regularly in everyday life.

This shift has increased demand for larger, more visible solitaire designs that fit seamlessly into work, social gatherings, dinners, and celebrations.

MOĒNA is also seeing a growing trend of women purchasing diamond jewellery for themselves to celebrate personal achievements and milestones. Couples are increasingly choosing engagement rings together, making the purchase journey more collaborative and experience-driven.

These changes, according to Himanshu, reflect deeper shifts in consumer mindset rather than short-term trends.

Lessons from Previous Startup Experience

Before launching MOĒNA, Himanshu worked across multiple high-growth startups and also founded DropBaba. Those experiences taught him the importance of understanding customers and unit economics before scaling a business.

He believes growth becomes sustainable only when businesses deeply understand:

• Who their customer is
• Why customers return
• What creates long-term value

At MOĒNA, the company focused heavily on building strong fundamentals before expansion. This disciplined approach reportedly helped the business achieve breakeven within four months of operations.

Educating Customers About Lab-Grown Diamonds

One of the biggest challenges in India’s lab-grown diamond industry is consumer awareness. Many buyers still associate diamonds only with mining and rarity.

To address this, MOĒNA actively focuses on customer education through digital content, in-store conversations, and transparent communication around certification, quality, and pricing.

Every product at MOĒNA comes with IGI certification, helping customers better understand diamond authenticity and grading standards.

Himanshu believes awareness and education will play a major role in accelerating adoption in India, especially as younger consumers increasingly prioritise transparency, design, and value while making purchase decisions.

He also believes satisfied customers naturally become strong advocates for the category, helping organically build trust and awareness.

Sustainability and Ethical Luxury

As consumers become more conscious about sustainability and ethical sourcing, lab-grown diamonds are naturally gaining relevance.

Unlike traditional mining, lab-grown diamonds avoid many environmental and ethical concerns associated with extraction and supply chains.

However, Himanshu believes customers are not choosing lab-grown diamonds only because they are sustainable. They are choosing them because they offer a combination of design, quality, affordability, and responsible consumption.

At MOĒNA, sustainability is not treated as a marketing feature but as a natural advantage built into the product itself.

Building Trust in a Competitive Market

Trust remains one of the most important factors in jewellery retail, especially in India where families often purchase from the same jeweller for generations.

As a new-age brand, MOĒNA had to build that trust from the ground up.

The company focused on creating confidence through:

• Transparent pricing
• Certified diamonds
• Clear exchange and buyback policies
• Premium store experiences
• Honest customer interactions

According to Himanshu, every touchpoint inside the store is intentionally designed to make customers feel informed, comfortable, and confident during an emotional purchase.

Within a few months of launch, MOĒNA built strong customer reviews and repeat business, which the company sees as one of its biggest trust indicators.

Designing Jewellery for Everyday Life

Design innovation is central to MOĒNA’s identity. The brand focuses on creating modern jewellery that fits naturally into contemporary lifestyles instead of being reserved only for weddings or special occasions.

Its collections are built around:

• Everyday wearability
• Elegant solitaire designs
• Premium craftsmanship
• High-quality VVS diamonds
• Modern aesthetics

Himanshu believes luxury today is not just about heavy or expensive jewellery. Instead, it is about thoughtful design, quality craftsmanship, and emotional relevance.

Lab-grown diamonds allow MOĒNA to offer larger stones, refined detailing, and premium finishing while keeping products accessible to a wider audience.

The Road Ahead for MOĒNA

Looking ahead, Himanshu believes India is poised to become one of the largest markets globally for lab-grown diamond jewellery.

As awareness grows, consumers are expected to increasingly view lab-grown diamonds as smart, modern, and practical choices.

“Our vision at MOĒNA is to lead that transition by building a brand that combines trust, education, technology, and modern design,” says Himanshu. “Whether it is through beautifully designed retail stores, personalised buying experiences, home trials, or AI-led consultation tools, we want to make diamond buying far more transparent, comfortable, and accessible for modern consumers.”

The company plans to continue expanding its omnichannel presence while maintaining a strong focus on customer trust, accessibility, and experience.

As consumer preferences continue evolving toward conscious and value-driven luxury, MOĒNA is positioning itself as a brand built for the future of Indian jewellery retail.

Interview By : Arushi Agarwal