The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), the apex body for the gem and jewellery trade in India, set up by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, organized a skill building training programme for gem & jewellery sector at Sindhudurg. Hon’ble Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation Shri Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the programme.
Shri Suresh Prabhu , CIM said, “This is a golden opportunity for the gem & jewellery workers in Sindhudurg. The training programme is not just for the people already working in this sector but whoever is interested would be trained under this programme. The true purpose of the initiative will be achieved on how you people in Sindhudurg utilize this opportunity. Currently, the artisans and traders lack the training they require to play an important role in world gem & jewellery market. With this advanced training facility we could fill this gap.”
Appreciating and expressing his gratitude towards Hon’ble Minister Suresh Prabhu for works he has done for the Gem & Jewellery sector, Pramod Agrawal Chairman, GJEPC Said, “One of the initiatives recently taken under Suresh ji’s ambitious leadership is signing of MoU with Maharashtra Govt. for setting up India’s largest Jewellery Park in Mumbai. It is estimated that there would be a 13000 crore investment in this project and will help generate additional 1 lakh jobs in the sector.”
“Aligned with Prime Minister’s vision of Build Skill India, GJEPC has undertaken this skill building initiative to nurture skill development across nation. The drive is to provide enhanced learning across various centres in India through Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery (IIGJ), spreading its wings in interiors of Maharashtra. Regions like Ratnagiri and Sindudurg are famous for making jewellery, especially tribal and imitation jewellery. By enhancing this skills through training and giving better manufacturing facilities, both the regions can contribute significantly for the exports of gems and jewllery”, Chairman added.
Considering the proximity of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg to Goa, a gem & jewellery development in this region can substantially contribute to the exports. GJEPC has plans to set up Common Facility Centers (CFCs) in 13 identified clusters of the gem and jewellery in India. The Council has already set up Common Facility Centres at Amreli, Visnagar and Palanpur in Gujarat. We are in the process of setting up a Common Facility Centre in Sindhudurg for which we are doing capacity building programme amongst local traders”, chairman added.
GJEPC has also identified that around 5000 women from Sindhudurg region would like to get trained in imitation and tribal jewellery. Such training programmes would be a step towards empowering the women in this region.
The Indian Gem & Jewellery export is a US$ 41 billion industry annually. GJEPC’s vision is to take exports to US$ 60 billion by 2022. The world market for fashion jewellery and accessories is around US$ 7 billion. India’s share in the global export market is less than 2.1% i.e. USD 145 million indicating an immense growth potential.
Note: News shared for public awareness with reference from the information provided at online news portals.
