The 9th edition of Signature IIJS 2016 and the 3rd edition of India Gem & Jewellery Machinery Expo (IGJME) were inaugurated this morning at the Bombay Exhibition Centre by Hon’ble Minister of Industries, Govt of Maharashtra Shri Subhash Desai, the Chief Guest and President, Alrosa, Mr Andrey Zharkov, the Guest of Honour.

Also present on the dais were Shri Manoj Dwivedi, Jt Sec., Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, Praveenshankar Pandya, Chairman, GJEPC; Russell Mehta, Vice-chairman, GJEPC, Saunak Parikh, Convener Exhibitions Sub-Committee (International) and Sabyasachi Ray, Executive Director, GJEPC.

This is the first time that the two shows are being held concurrently at a single venue.

Welcoming the guests and others, Praveenshankar Pandya said that Mumbai was one of the key centres of the industry. Diamantaires and jewellers here looked forward to continued support from the government to enable further growth.

Enumerating some of areas of concern, Pandya spoke about the delay in VAT refunds, and the need for a clear SEZ policy at the state level. He also said that with appropriate infrastructure and a policy framework, some of the business that had moved to China could be attracted to India, boosting employment, exports and government revenue here.

Pandya also made a strong plea for government support on two key projects that the Council was keen to take forward – the setting up of a gem and jewellery park near the city with all modern facilities and services; and building an international convention centre that could play host to shows like the July IIJS, which was now the 3rd largest in the world.

On his part, Shri Desai said that his government was committed to improving the ease of doing business in the state and had taken many initiatives in this regard. He said that there was a need to formulate a policy to address the specific needs of the gem and jewellery industry and invited the representatives of the GJEPC for further interaction with the ministry in this regard, as well as on specific issues related to the convention centre, the G & J park etc. He assured the gathering that the central and state governments were working in tandem to boost manufacturing industries, particularly those that provided employment to large number of people and were focused on exports.

Alrosa President Andrey Zharkov spoke about the close relations that Russia and India had deeloped in the diamond industry over the last few years and said that Alrosa was committed to increasing direct supplies of rough to the country. He added that though overall business last year was slow, India’s share in Alrosa sales had increased.

Zharkov also lauded the government for setting up the Special Notified Zone for rough trading and said that his company had already conducted viewing and found the facilities were truly world class. He said it would surely provide a boost to direct trade.

He added that both Alrosa, and the Diamond Producers Association of which it is a member were committed to generic marketing of diamonds to create an emotional connect with consumers, and announced that the first campaign was expected to be launched at the JCK egas show in June this year.

Shri Dwivedi described the industry as “dynamic, innovative and hardworking” and said that was the reason for its success. He said that the government was keen to promote the gems and jewellery sector because of the twin benefits of employment generation and enhancing export earnings.

Saunak Parikh proposed the Vote of Thanks.

Pic Caption: Lighting the lamp at the Inaugural Ceremony