** Shares of Titan Company TITN.NS rise as much as 1% to record high of 4,031.70 rupees
** Jeweller and watchmaker launched "beYon – from the house of Titan" on Friday, marking its entry into lab grown diamonds
** Co launches the brand's first retail store in Mumbai on Monday with 2 more stores planned in near term
** ICICI Securities says TITN's strong retail and distribution network will position it well for faster scale-up
** Management has grown more receptive to segment over the past year, a positive shift given its strong brand portfolio, including CaratLane, Zoya and Mia - Morgan Stanley
** Citi expects lab grown diamonds retail to stay highly competitive with uncertain profitability, making store expansion cautious and long-term growth unclear
** YTD, TITN up ~24%
(Reporting by Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru)
((UrviManoj.Dugar@thomsonreuters.com;))