The Board of Directors of the Indian Institute of the Gems & Jewellery – IIGJ Mumbai, having completed its tenure, has elected a new panel of Directors and Chairman in a meeting held at Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery, Mumbai in July-end 2016.

The newly inducted Directors of the re-enacted Board are - Mr. Kirit Bhansali, Chairman, Ms. Namita Pandya, Mr. Anil Virani, and Mr. Ashok Gajera. The Directors continuing from the previous Board are Mr. Praveenshankar Pandya, presently also Chairman of GJEPC, Mr. Vasant Mehta, Mr. Dilipkumar Lakhi, Mr. Sanjay Kothari, Mr. Nirmalkumar Barmecha, Mr. Ashish Kothari, and Mr. Raj Hiten Parikh.

The new Chairman, Mr. Kirit Bhansali, is a leading businessman and partner of Sky Gems & Smital Gems with several branches throughout the world. He is also a committee member of BDB & GJEPC. His vision is to see quality education be more widely spread in the gems and jewellery industry through IIGJ Mumbai and would like to see students of IIGJ selected by leading jewellery brands globally.

Mr. Ashok Gajera, MD of Laxmi Diamonds supports among other activities, academics & upliftment of rural society under the Gajera Trust, at Amreli in Gujarat.

Mr. Anil Virani, MD of Karp Impex, also supports upliftment of rural society through his family establishment at Jasdan in Gujarat. Ms. Namita Pandya was convener of IIGJ Tardeo, previous JPDC. She has now been elected as a full-fledged director and has been a promoter of education especially in tribal areas of India.

Outgoing Chairman Mr. Vasant Mehta, played a significant role in creation and overall development of IIGJ Mumbai to its present status where it is now recognized as a center of jewellery education in India and abroad. IIGJ is now collaborating with Mewar University to offer BA Degree in jewellery, with the Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research for the study of Jewellery Management.