The jewellery park being planned in Navi Mumbai will create one lakh jobs in the jewellery sector, Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) chairman Pramod Kumar Agrawal said on Sunday. The park in Ghansoli will have nearly 4,000 jewellery units.
“The first-of-its-kind park in the city … envisages an estimated investment of ₹13,800 crore from the industry. This will help add one lakh jobs in the sector,” Mr. Agrawal said while speaking at the 12th edition of the Signature India International Jewellery Show and sixth edition of the India Gem & Jewellery Machinery Expo presented by GJEPC at the National Exhibition in Goregaon on Sunday. The event was attended by ministers and experts from the industry.
In 2018, the State government and the GJEPC had signed a Memorandum of Understanding to open a jewellery park. Mr. Agarwal said discussions were on to set up a gem bourse in Rajasthan. “GJEPC has had discussions with Rajasthan government to set up a first-of-its-kind world class gem bourse in Jaipur similar to the Bharat Diamond Bourse, Mumbai. We have set ourselves an ambitious target of doubling the jewellery exports from $9 billion at present to $18billion by 2025. We are engaged with the authorities at the highest level to ensure that major policy reforms are balanced with ease of doing business,” he said.
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu, said, “Exports result in value addition and creation of huge global opportunities for business and employment. The gem and jewellery business is part of a global supply chain and integrated ecosystem ranging from Antwerp to Hong Kong to Surat to Mumbai. The government has announced the first-ever domestic council and an integrated gold policy, all of which will lead to more and more growth for the Make in India gem and jewellery industry.”
Experts at the event also highlighted the importance of technology in jewellery. “Technology is growing exponentially and is the key to innovate and stay ahead of the curve,” Dr. Subodh Kumar Agarwal, additional chief secretary, industry, government of Rajasthan, said.
Mr. Shailesh Sangani, convener, national exhibitions sub-committee, GJEPC, said, “Catering to millennials’ tastes is the next big challenge that the industry must prepare for.”
