Giftex
Giftex is a Mumbai-based online auction and luxury collectibles platform, established in 1988, operating across eight specialized departments including art, jewellery, timepieces, and textiles, serving affluent Indian collectors and corporate clients via online auctions, a fixed-price e-commerce store, and physical exhibitions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1988
- HeadquartersMumbai, India
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Giftex does
Giftex (legally Trade & Technology Exposition Co. (India) Pvt. Ltd.) is a Mumbai-based, privately held auction and luxury collectibles platform that has operated in the Indian gifting and auction industry since 1988. The company operates an online auction platform at www.giftex.in covering eight specialized departments: Modern Indian Art, Contemporary Indian Art, Jewellery, Silverware, Timepieces, Furniture and Decorative Arts, Textiles, and Collectibles (which sub-categorizes rare books, fine writing instruments, memorabilia, numismatics, philately, and natural history). Bidders must complete KYC verification and a tiered security deposit (₹30,000 to ₹2,25,000) for bidding limits of up to ₹15 lakh and above. The platform supports live and timed online auctions with proxy bidding, phone bidding, and real-time notifications, and is accessible via web and mobile apps. Documented auction hammer-price volumes include ₹22.14 Cr (Modern and Contemporary Art, June 2026), ₹12.24 Cr (Precious Collectibles, July 2025), and ₹9.40 Cr (Jewellery, Timepieces and Silver, September 2025).
Giftex monetizes primarily through a tiered buyer's margin on auction hammer prices: 30% on winning bids up to ₹25,000, 25% on bids between ₹25,001 and ₹75,000, and 18% on bids above ₹75,001, plus applicable GST (3-28%), packing, insurance, and shipping charges. A secondary revenue stream is the Giftex Store, a fixed-price e-commerce storefront offering luxury watches from brands including Omega, Cartier, Panerai, Breitling, Carl F Bucherer, Frederique Constant, and Oris. Distribution is omnichannel: online auctions, the e-commerce store, a Kala Ghoda gallery in Mumbai, and large physical exhibition events. The most recent major initiative is The Collectors' Cove, launched in August 2026 in association with HSBC India as an 80,000 sq ft curated luxury collectibles exhibition platform. The customer base spans affluent Indian collectors, art connoisseurs, watch enthusiasts, and corporate clients seeking premium gifting solutions.
Giftex firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Giftex
- Legal name
- Trade & Technology Exposition Co. (India) Pvt. Ltd.
- Website
- https://giftex.in
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1988
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Giftex is a Mumbai-based online auction and luxury collectibles platform, established in 1988, operating across eight specialized departments including art, jewellery, timepieces, and textiles, serving affluent Indian collectors and corporate clients via online auctions, a fixed-price e-commerce store, and physical exhibitions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Giftex industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Auction Services for Luxury Collectibles
- NAICS
- Jewelry Retailers (45831), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)
- SIC
- Retail-Jewelry Stores (5944), Wholesale-Jewelry, Watches, Precious Stones & Metals (5094), Jewelry, Silverware & Plated Ware (3910)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry) (CRAKAKAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail (CRALAGAO), Stamps & Postal History Collectibles Retail (Philately) (CRALAGAG)
Keywords
Where Giftex is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mumbai
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices3 records
Markets served
Giftex business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Buyer's Margin on Auction Sales: Giftex charges a buyer's margin on the hammer price of all auction items. The margin is tiered: 30% for bids up to ₹25,000, 25% for bids between ₹25,001-75,000, and 18% for bids above ₹75,001. Additional charges include GST (3-28% in India), packing, insurance, shipping, and handling.
- Direct Product Sales: E-commerce store sales of luxury watches and timepieces at fixed prices, including brands like Omega, Cartier, Panerai, Breitling, and others.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Buyer's margin 30% for hammer prices up to ₹25,000 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Security deposit tiers linked to bidding limits |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Fixed-price luxury watch sales |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Giftex product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Giftex operates an online auction platform that curates and auctions authenticated luxury collectibles across eight categories—Modern and Contemporary Indian Art, Jewellery, Silverware, Timepieces, Furniture and Decorative Arts, Textiles, and Collectibles (rare books, writing instruments, memorabilia, stamps, coins). It complements auctions with a fixed-price e-commerce storefront for luxury watches (brands like Omega, Cartier, Panerai, Breitling) and a physical luxury collectibles exhibition platform called The Collectors' Cove launched in partnership with HSBC India.
Product overview
Giftex operates as an integrated luxury collectibles and auction ecosystem comprising three core offerings: (1) The Giftex Online Auction Platform - a niche online auction platform for bidding on luxury collectibles across 8 specialized departments (Modern Indian Art, Contemporary Indian Art, Jewellery, Silver, Timepieces, Furniture and Decorative Arts, Textiles, and Collectibles); (2) The Collectors' Cove - a physical luxury collectibles event platform launched in partnership with HSBC India; and (3) Giftex Store - an e-commerce storefront for immediately purchasable luxury items. The platform, part of the AstaGuru ecosystem with nearly four decades of experience, serves as India's premier destination for art, jewellery, watches, memorabilia, and other high-value collectibles through both live timed auctions and fixed-price sales.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Giftex Online Auction Platform An online auction platform offering curated live and timed auctions of authenticated luxury collectibles across Modern Indian Art, Contemporary Indian Art, Jewellery, Silverware, Timepieces, Furniture and Decorative Arts, Textiles, and Collectibles categories. Bidders register, complete KYC verification, place security deposits, and participate via web or mobile with proxy and phone bidding support.
- The Collectors' Cove A physical luxury collectibles exhibition and event platform bringing fine art, jewellery, watches, and luxury collectibles under one roof in a curated collector's journey format, serving India's evolving affluent collectors who value provenance, craftsmanship, and cultural narratives.
- Giftex Store An e-commerce storefront offering immediately purchasable luxury items at fixed prices, including watches from brands such as Omega, Cartier, Panerai, Breitling, Frederique Constant, Carl F Bucherer, and Oris, providing an alternative to the auction format for buyers seeking immediate ownership.
Companies that use Giftex
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Giftex technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Giftex partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- HSBC IndiaflagshipGiftex launched The Collectors' Cove luxury collectibles platform in association with HSBC India. The inaugural event on August 1-2, 2026 at Mumbai's Ballard Pier brings together fine art, jewellery, watches, and luxury collectibles under one roof, positioning as a curated collector's journey. HSBC India's association adds prestige and financial services support to the luxury collector ecosystem.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Giftex competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Catawiki: European online auction platform for curated collectibles across art, jewelry, watches, and luxury items. Comparable digital online auction model with authentication and category breadth, though serving a different geographic market.
- Saffronart: India's leading online auction platform for modern and contemporary Indian art, founded in 2000. Directly comparable as a digital-first Indian auction house and likely the most direct head-to-head competitor in the Indian art auction segment.
- Heritage Auctions: Large US-based auction house covering art, jewelry, watches, memorabilia, and collectibles. Comparable business model with multi-category online auction platform serving affluent collectors globally.
- StoryLTD: India-based online auction platform for fine art and collectibles. Direct competitor in the Indian online auction space, with overlapping category coverage and target collector base.
- AstaGuru: Indian online auction house specializing in modern and contemporary Indian art, watches, and luxury collectibles. Sister company within the same Sethi-led ecosystem, overlapping directly with Giftex's auction categories and bidder base.
- Pundole's: Historic Mumbai-based auction house specializing in Indian art, antiquities, and decorative arts. Direct regional competitor serving the same Mumbai-based affluent collector segment since 2011.
Broad incumbents
- Christie's: One of the world's leading auction houses offering art, jewelry, watches, and decorative arts. Competes with Giftex for high-net-worth Indian collectors, particularly in jewelry and contemporary art, with significantly deeper international inventory.
- Phillips Auctioneers: Global auction house specializing in 20th-century and contemporary art, watches, and jewelry. Direct competitor in the watch and contemporary art auction categories that Giftex features in its departments.
- Bonhams: Global auction house with strong jewelry, watches, and Asian art categories. Comparable in auction format and target luxury collector demographic, with growing presence in the Indian market.
- Sotheby's: Global premier auction house covering fine art, jewelry, watches, and collectibles. Directly comparable in auction model and product categories, but operates at vastly larger scale with global reach and serves as the price-discovery benchmark for Indian luxury collectors.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Giftex social profiles
Digital presenceGiftex financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Giftex leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Giftex funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Giftex M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Giftex
What does Giftex do?
Giftex operates an online auction platform that curates and auctions authenticated luxury collectibles across eight categories—Modern and Contemporary Indian Art, Jewellery, Silverware, Timepieces, Furniture and Decorative Arts, Textiles, and Collectibles (rare books, writing instruments, memorabilia, stamps, coins). It complements auctions with a fixed-price e-commerce storefront for luxury watches (brands like Omega, Cartier, Panerai, Breitling) and a physical luxury collectibles exhibition platform called The Collectors' Cove launched in partnership with HSBC India.
Is Giftex a public or private company?
Giftex is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Giftex founded?
Giftex was founded in 1988. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Giftex based?
Giftex is headquartered in Mumbai, India, in the Asia region.
How does Giftex make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Buyer's Margin on Auction Sales are the primary driver. The others are direct Product Sales.
Who are Giftex's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Catawiki, Saffronart, Heritage Auctions, StoryLTD, AstaGuru and Pundole's. Broad incumbents are Christie's, Phillips Auctioneers, Bonhams and Sotheby's.
Does Giftex have an API?
No public API is recorded for Giftex.
What industry is Giftex in?
Giftex's product category is Online Auction Services for Luxury Collectibles. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAKAKAF, Auction Houses (Luxury Watches & Jewelry), with a secondary code of CRALAGAO, Online Collectibles Marketplaces & Auction Retail. Its NAICS code is 45831 and its SIC code is 5944.