After the success of the first edition of India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) Virtual in October 2020, the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council inaugurated the second edition of IIJS Virtual 2.0 powered by GIA in the presence of Colin Shah, Chairman, GJEPC; Vipul Shah, Vice Chairman, GJEPC; Shailesh Sangani, Convener, National Exhibitions; Sabyasachi Ray, ED, GJEPC amongst others. The show is held from 8th to 12th January 2021.

The show had dedicated 5 Halls each for Traditional Gold Jewellery; Gold Jewellery (Mass); Diamond/Colour Gemstone Jewellery; Couture/Bridal Jewellery; Loose colour Gemstone/Silver jewellery / Machinery & Allied. There were 250 exhibitors and 8000+ registered buyers including international buyers from the US, UK, UAE, Singapore, Bangladesh, Nepal, Hong Kong, Belgium, Sri Lanka, Thailand, etc. More than 15000 meetings to be held over the 5 days of the show.

Addressing the trade during the inaugural ceremony Colin Shah, Chairman, GJEPC, had said, “The first edition of IIJS Virtual saw a record 10000+ visitors and we reported a business turnover of around Rs 1000 Crore. This surely has set a benchmark for us and was expected to surpass the business generated in the first edition.”

Colin Shah had further added, “The New Year has brought in good news on many fronts - several vaccines are making their way across the globe and have already started saving lives. On the business front, demand for gems and jewellery picking up in all major export markets. Jewellery was the highest selling luxury product in China in 2020 and the Thanksgiving Day spending in the US rose by nearly 22% year-over-year to $5.1 billion, hitting a new record, -- which goes to prove that jewellery is strongly linked to the emotional connect of buyers. It’s good to see that India’s exports of gem and jewellery back to pre-covid levels in November and December. I am sure that couple of months down the line, we will see more stable economic activities across the world which will further boost the gem and jewellery sector’s growth.”

Vipul Shah, Vice Chairman, GJEPC had said, “The demand from members for a second edition in quick succession speaks volumes about the IIJS brand’s popularity and influence among industry members. IIJS Virtual 2.0 will carry forward the positive vibe of the first edition, which transacted around Rs. 1,000 crore-worth of business.”
Shailesh Sangani, Convener, Exhibition (National) said, “The Council has assimilated a wealth of learnings based on the feedback of exhibitors and visitors from the first edition of IIJS Virtual which was useful in enhancing every aspect of the second edition. We have introduced a host of exciting aspects to give you an experience like never before! Superior search engine, on-booth chat facility, product catalogue with a magnifying feature, digital organiser which tracks your meetings and notes, interactive knowledge forums, daily notification on Whatsapp for your appointments, and much more.”

Some of the salient features of IIJS Virtual 2.0 were:

• Enhanced Exhibitor Product Catalogues
• Live Chat & Video Conferencing
• Enhanced Product and company Search facility
• Live Knowledge Sessions with industry experts
• OTP at both email and cellphone number
• Enhanced Video Conferencing interface
• Smart Notification on System & Mobile Device