# HMT sells watches worth Rs 35 lakh in a single day 2026-08-20T12:54:00+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 2 independent outlets On August 15, HMT's outlet in Bengaluru saw queues stretching nearly two kilometres as customers lined up for hours to buy limited-edition watches. The company sold over 2,000 pieces and watches worth more than Rs 35 lakh in a single day. The Gandaberunda edition, featuring Karnataka's mythical bird emblem, sold out first. Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Steel HD Kumaraswamy announced the sales and directed HMT to ramp up production of new-series watches while maintaining quality. The Economic Times reports that HMT once controlled 90 percent of India's watch market but shut its watchmaking unit less than a decade ago. The brand was revived with limited-edition releases. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The two sources cover the same event but differ in framing. The Economic Times gives a detailed nostalgic history of HMT's rise and fall, emphasising its 90 percent market share and the competition from Titan, without mentioning the government's role in the revival. Deccan Herald focuses on Kumaraswamy's directive and tweets, framing the sales as a sign of renewed momentum under the Prime Minister's leadership. The careful reader should note that both accounts confirm strong public demand for the limited-edition watches, but neither provides details on production capacity or whether the revival is sustainable beyond the initial buzz. Watch for whether HMT can maintain production to meet ongoing demand. ## Coverage Coverage: 2 sources, 1 pro-government, 1 neutral - economictimes.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Frames the sales as a nostalgic comeback story without explicit government alignment. - deccanherald.com (pro government) Leads with Kumaraswamy's directive and credits PM Modi for the revival momentum. This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above. Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources. Last updated 2026-08-20T17:26:18+00:00. Tags: Bengaluru, Citizen Watch Co, HD Kumaraswamy, HMT, Ministry of Heavy Industries, Titan Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/hmt-sold-rs-35-lakh-watches-in-a-single-day-on-independence-day/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/hmt-sold-rs-35-lakh-watches-in-a-single-day-on-independence-day/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the reports linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. Stance labels are editorial classifications of how each outlet framed this story, assigned by the same model, not ratings of the outlets. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/