GJEPC plans jewellery shows across the country

The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) plans to set up a modern convention centre, preferably in Mumbai, at a cost of Rs 200 crore.

Vipul Shah, GJEPC Chairman, said that the council has submitted a proposal for Rs 1,194 crore for 2012-17 and it has been approved by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

“The Commerce Ministry is trying to persuade the Maharashtra Government to allot a defunct mill land so that a convention centre could be set up. We hope to receive a positive response from the State Government,” he said.

The lack of a large convention centre has been a major hurdle for the industry, which is trying hard to boost exports by conducting promotional events. Earlier this year, GJEPC had a waitlist of 1,000 jewellers who could not be accommodate at its annual India International Jewellery Show. This year, the show was spread over about 46,000 sq m and had 1,800 stalls of about 800 exhibitors from India and abroad.

The council has decided to conduct a series of jewellery show events in a year at different cities such as Delhi and Bangalore to meet the growing demand from the trade for such promotional activities.

Asked whether the council would look at other States for setting up the convention centre if land was not made immediately available in Mumbai, Sanjay Kothari, former Chairman of GJEPC, said that the Council is ready to consider any State that offers the best deal. However, Mumbai is most preferred as it is an important trade hub of the gem and jewellery industry, he said.

Besides a convention centre, GJEPC is also keen to set up a bourse for trading in gems at Jaipur, a Gem and a jewellery park in Mumbai, a common facility centre in Gujarat and a technology upgradation and training centre at Domjur in Kolkata.

Pankaj Kumar Parekh, Vice Chairman of GJEPC, said that a jeweller in Kolkata has agreed to sell a bigha (less than an acre) of land for setting up the institute.

“The work will begin once the deal is done. It will be of great help to the industry as most of the artisans are from the state,” he said. The Council targets to achieve focused skill development for the industry by setting performance standards for the institute.
Source: http://www.jewelryne.ws/gitanjali-bags-niryat-shree-gold-award-for-top-exporter-in-gems-jewellery-sector/