Overview
- The eighth edition of the PM Mementos e-Auction opened Thursday and runs until October 31 on the official portal, offering 1,498 gifts presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
- Fifty items are identified as ‘Hero Objects’ with top base prices that include a silver Lord Ram at ₹13.5 lakh, a silver Kakatiya Kala Thoranam at ₹9 lakh, and a Tree of Life Gond painting at ₹7.5 lakh.
- The National Gallery of Modern Art coordinated documentation and an exhibition while the National Informatics Centre hosts the portal, State Bank of India handles payments, and India Post plus a fine-art handler manage packing and delivery.
- Proceeds will be routed to the Namami Gange programme and build on seven earlier editions that auctioned 7,741 objects and raised about ₹52 crore, with past headline sales such as Neeraj Chopra’s javelin fetching ₹1.5 crore.
- Bidders include individuals, institutions and corporates who can view items at the NGMA before bidding, and final receipts will depend on which objects draw competitive interest and how base prices attract buyers.