The gem and jewellery industry hopes to rise from the ashes of 13/7 by organizing five-day-long India International Jewellery Show (IIJS), which opens in Mumbai from August 4. More than 800 leading jewellery and diamond companies, 30 per cent of which are from countries such as Israel, Italy, Greece and the US, will participate in the show.
The 28th edition of IIJS, one of the preeminent international gems and jewellery shows, is expected to attract 30,000 to 40,000 domestic and more than 4,000 international buyers. Last year, the IIJS had generated business worth Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,500 crore, with about 40 per cent contributed by the foreign visitors.
The Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) has reassured overseas buyers of all possible protection. Said Sanjay Kothari, vice-chairman of GJEPC, “Keeping in mind the recent terrorist attacks on the diamond industry, we have left no stone unturned for the safety and security of the domestic and overseas visitors.”
According to him, the venue at NSE grounds at Goregaon will be like a fortress. The police, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and private security guards will man all the strategic installations inside and outside the venue. The entire event will be monitored through the state-of-the-art CCTV network. Every individual exhibition stall at the IIJS will have a CCTV camera and security persons.
Official sources said the diamond traders and leading jewellery companies from Israel, Belgium, US and Italy are not wavering from their commitments to furthering ties with their Indian counterparts following the terror strikes.
Kothari said, “We have received a tremendous from the foreign exhibitors, especially from Israel, who are keen to set up exhibition stalls at IIJS. We have completed most of the booking procedures and have set up a separate international products gallery for the domestic visitors.”
Recently, chairman of Israel Diamond Industry (IDI), Moti Ganz, had stated, “Israel and India have a great deal in common as both the countries are ancient civilizations and young democracies and both have to deal with the horror of terror. Israel is very much interested in the Indian market and this is the reason why we are setting up an office at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC).”
Source : The Times of India