Mumbai : West Bengal will become the second state after Gujarat to have a dedicated policy and cluster to promote gold jewellery manufacturing and trade.
The state is developing a gem and jewellery park on 2.5 lakh sq ft at Ankurhati in Howrah and has already allotted 1.5 lakh sq ft. The state plans to sell the remaining area with all necessary infrastructure at a reasonable rate to manufacturers. The Gem and Jewellery Trade Federation has received 5,000 sq ft for setting up a skill development facility within the park.
Another park
The government is planning to set up another gem and jewellery park on six acres at Bon Hooghly, North Kolkata. The park will provide modern facilities, including government-supported employment training programme required for jewellery manufacturing.
The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council is setting up a skill development centre at Manikanchan, the special economic zone at Salt Lake in Kolkata.
Amit Mitra, Minister for Finance, Commerce & Industries, said the government has identified 10 clusters, including gem and jewellery industry, for development based on the in-built strength of the talent pool in the state.
“We have asked the industry representatives to prepare a draft on the incentives they are looking for from the state government. Based on these recommendations, the government will frame its policy in six to eight months,” he said.
Currently, the state commands a turnover of ₹38,000 crore, accounting for 11 per cent of the country’s gem and jewellery industry turnover and is targeting to increase it to 20 per cent by 2020.
About top 24 gem and jewellery industry representatives cumulatively accounting for ₹3.5 lakh crore business attended a meeting in the run-up to the fourth Bengal Global Business Summit to be held in Kolkata on January 17-18 next year.
Note: News shared for public awareness with reference from the information provided at online news portals.
