A meeting took place between a delegation of the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council’s Southern Region and the India’s Minister of State for Commerce & Industry Smt Nirmala Sitharaman during her recent visit to the Indian region of Mangaluru, reports say.

The purpose was to discuss ways to bring about development in the gem and jewellery industry of the said region.

The talks involved suggestions by the GJEPC delegation on setting up a training institute for skill development and a Common Facility Centre (CFC) for manufacturers in the area and a place for hands-on-training for students. It was mooted that these facilities be set up around the Mangaluru-Udipi (both within about 50 km distance of each other) area, reports add.

The GJEPC will further discuss the same with its members and draft a proposal to be presented to the Minister for further consideration.