India International Jewellery Show 2009 (IIJS – 2009) opened on August 6, in Mumbai. The inaugural ceremony was commenced by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Ashok Shankarrao Chavan. With him present were the council members- GJEPC Chairman Vasant Mehta, Vice Chairman Rajiv Jain and Sanjay Kothari, on the dais. The inaugural ceremony served as a podium for the industry to discuss few crucial issues with the Chief Minister. Need for a world class convention Centre and removal of octroi from diamonds in Maharshtra were the primary concerns that Vasant Mehta and Sanjay Kothari talked about in there respective speeches.

Vasant Mehta greeted the gathering and the chief guest with a welcome note. He informed that despite the trying times, the gem and jewellery industry has managed to show some growth and also applauded the cooperation that the precious industry in India has rendered in the past one year, and expected tough times to end soon, “The G&J Industry has been reeling under the recessionary winds blowing across the international shores. As exporters, we had been affected considerably with loss of revenues, market shares and margins. Domestically, thousands of workers had lost their jobs and manufacturers were struggling to survive. It gives me immense pleasure to say that the worst seems to be behind us. Slowly and surely, thanks to the tenacity of the Indian business community, we are now on a turnaround mode. While there is yet a long way to go, the fall in demand has been arrested and we are hopeful of seeing it rise” said Vasant Mehta. He let the industry know about the new marketing campaign that GJEPC is carrying out in order to alleviate the trade.

Most importantly, he raised concerns like lack of a convention centre in India and octroi being levied on diamonds in Maharshtra. It seems that existent octroi on diamonds is gradually imposing a threat to the precious trade in Mumbai with major players looking to shift their bases to other neighboring states to prevent these taxes, which subsequently would harm the gem and jewellery industry in Maharashtra and also impact the employment in the state since gem and jewellery industry is one of the primary employment generators. The Chief Minister immediately took notice of these issues and promised to curb them. He agreed to the need of a world class multi storey convention centre and assured to take it up definitely, “I would like to congratulate GJEPC in their endeavor in creating tremendous employment opportunities for the people in Maharashtra. India International Jewellery Show offers the perfect platform for the entire industry and the International business partners and we promise considering an international level exhibition and convention center as per Council’s recommendation”.

On the octroi question, he suggested that the money that comes from octroi helps Municipal Corporation sustain, therefore the matter of octroi removal needs to be consulted with them. Though, he entertained the idea of having an alternative plan that results in a win win situation for both ends. “Maharashtra offers a conducive environment to run business and government here is supportive. We are here to help you grow and not to trouble you”, he assured. Besides addressing these concerns, he also appreciated the brand building, marketing, training and development efforts of the industry and the council.