Udupi: The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, apex gem and jewellery trade body in India, laid the foundation stone for a premier Gem and Jewellery Training Institute in Udupi on Friday, June 16. Indian Institute of Gems and Jewellery (IIGJ) is being set up in association with National Institute of Design(NID), Ahmedabad.
This training centre shall be amongst the series of training institutes and facility centres set up by GJEPC across India. With IIGJ Udupi , GJEPC forays into education and training field in the southern India for the first time.
Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Hon’ble Minister of State(IC), Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India graced the foundation stone laying ceremony. Also present at the occasion was Shri. Manoj Dwivedi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India.
“Across the Globe, the best of jewellery pieces are majority handmade. Global retail giants like Cartier, Boucheron or Van Cliff command premium prices for their handmade jewellery. India, whose forte lies in crafting most intricate handmade jewellery should capitalise on this opportunity by building necessary infrastructure.
By setting up institutes like IIGJ and other facility centres GJEPC once again has come forward to further equip Indian Gem and Jewellery sector and make it globally competitive. I am confident that IIGJ in Udupi will aid in providing exciting career opportunities to youth of surrounding regions in this sector” said Nirmala Sitharaman.
Speaking on the occasion Manoj Dwivedi said “With over 100 retail stores and engaging workforce of over 5000 people, Udupi boasts of a rich jewellery lineage. By setting up IIGJ here, GJEPC envisions to productively use the talent available here by providing required training and guidance. GJEPC has joined hands with NID, Ahmedabad to ensure that best of jewellery and manufacturing courses are offered to the enrolled students. I applaud GJEPC for taking this visionary step which would not only skill the youth but also create more job opportunities in Southern India”
Commenting on setting up of Institute, Praveenshankar Pandya, Chairman, GJEPC said “IIGJ in Udupi is one of the ambitious projects taken up by GJEPC to tap the unutilised potential of youth in this region and thereby giving a significant boost to Indian gem and jewellery sector. This institute strongly embodies Prime Minister’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and much professed emphasis on design and handmade jewellery. It is closely aligned with the vision of Commerce and Industry Minister to establish a one of its kind, full-fledged jewellery Institute at Udupi with strong Design focus. This is yet another step towards the pursuit of “Skill India”.
The Institute will provide training to the youth in the region in various aspects of hand-crafted jewellery making, which could eventually lead to employment opportunities in the G and J sector. It will also aim at enhancing the skills of the existing work force already engaged with the industry. Creation and upgradation of such trained work force will in turn help in fostering development of the local jewellery industry.
The Institute will focus on three levels of skills:
1. NEW SKILLING for developing fresh skills in candidates who have no prior domain learning/working knowledge of jewellery
2. UP-SKILLING for upgrading the skills of candidates who have prior domain learning and are already working in the sector.
3. Give a design and technological orientation to the local industry to be competitive in the Indian and world market.
Keeping the objectives in mind, the Institute shall offer Manufacturing and CAD designing courses on jewellery. Indian Diamond Institute, based in Surat and IIGJ has been involved on behalf of GJEPC to collaboratively develop the programme curriculum with NID, India’s Premier Design Institution.
For any enquiries on Institute contact: R. Surya Narayanan, Assistant Director, GJEPC, Chennai, Tel: 0091-44-2815 5180, Fax: 0091-44-2815 4526, Email: gjepcsr@vsnl.com / chennai@gjepcindia.com /surya@gjepcindia.com
