The 27th edition of the IIJS 2010, the brainchild of The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) started off at the NSE Grounds, Goregaon East, Mumbai on August 19.
The show was inaugurated today by Chaggan Bhujbal, Deputy Chief Minister, Maharashtra, Anil Mukim, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt of India and Vasant Mehta, Chairman, GJEPC along with other Council members.
The show boasts of 776 exhibitors (653 Indian companies and 123 foreign), 1600 booths and pavilions of six leading countries including Belgium, Thailand, Israel, Italy, Turkey and UAE, making this a truly global sourcing event. Trade delegations from China, Malaysia, Japan, Iran, UAE, Syria, Morocco, Libya, Bangladesh, Russia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, UK, Hungary and Poland too, showed up at the event.
To cater to the comforts of these visitors, a special international Product Gallery cum lounge has been put up exclusively for foreign visitors. This gallery is showcasing exclusive export oriented jewellery pieces to that match the international sensibilities. A special India food festival will be held to hone their appetite.
"IIJS 2010 is the 27th edition of this glittering show and the sheen this year will be provided by huge foreign delegation and the additional special sections that have been provided to cater to the needs of numerous visitors. This platform has for several years been the breeding ground for B2B trade amongst the leading players of the G&J industry globally. Every year, we at GJEPC endeavor to provide that impetus at every level to the industry and surge forward towards creating Brand India," revealed Mehta.
"I am proud of the success that the G&J industry is witnessing. With the GJEPC's consistent efforts, we are bound to establish India as the global G&J hub soon. IIJS, I understand is a year- marked event that the entire industry looks forward to with anticipation. I thank Mehta & the Council for having given me this opportunity & hope that GJEPC continues with their initiatives like IIJS & IIJW to help promote the thriving G&J industry," said Bhujbal.
The tremendous success that IIJS has gained over the years has promoted the Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MoC&I) Government of India to confer the 'Made in India' status upon IIJS 2010. The first IIJS was organized in 1985 on a small scale. With only 34 participants, the number of participants has steadily grown over the last 26 years; to over 700 participants this year. From merely a jewellery exhibition in 1985, today the IIJS is also a knowledge center with seminars that give an insight into the jewellery business. International pavilions, participation, visitors and buyers has increased tenfold and now IIJS acts as a platform to enter the high-growth Indian jewellery market and forge new alliances.
The IIJS presents a platform to understand the International market, the way modern Indian jewellery retailing industry is shaping up and the groundwork to prepare for the changing times ahead. IIJS is an occasion when wholesalers and retail jewelers from across the globe descend on Mumbai to plan their purchases, view the latest collections and develop new contacts and suppliers.
This year, GJEPC embarked on a new initiative while creating history in the world of jewellery with the launch of India International Jewellery Week (IIJW), the first of its kind in Asia. Organized by the GJEPC, IIJW presented the incredible talents of leading jewellery designers and Design Houses.
GJEPC will also continue with their marketing and promotion initiatives in the current year, some of them include, Buyer seller Meets with China and European Nations-Indo Euro Summit 2; Delegations to new markets such as Latin America, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, East Africa to name a few.
