Commerce & Industry Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman has said that unlike other sectors, Gem & Jewellery sector has direct impact on job creation. Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Indian Institute of Gem & Jewellery (IIGJ )Varanasi Extension Campus in Varanasi she said this is one sector which has different sub sectors by which gem & jewellery industry provides maximum jobs to people who come from rural areas and also with non gem & jewellery background through proper training. Smt. Sitharaman added that this holy city has longest history of human civilization. A city of this stature has shown ages ago that it has craftsmanship. She said GJEPC has come here to see that the talent which has been cultivated here for years is not lost and It is our responsibility to not only identify and support but ensure that the process is handed over to the next generation.

The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) is taking a big step towards realizing Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s one of the dream project, ‘Skill India’ by setting up the first-of-its-kind Indian Institute of Gem & Jewellery (IIGJ) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Varanasi is the fifth centre in the country after Mumbai, New Delhi, Jaipur and Kolkata to have an IIGJ campus.

Mr. Praveenshankar Pandya, Chairman, GJEPC, said that GJEPC, the apex gem & jewellery body in India has always strived to support Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s vision for putting India on the trajectory of growth through numerous initiatives, one such being ‘Skill India’ .

India’s Gem & Jewellery Industry over the years has grown from a mere US$ 28 Million in 1966-67 to US$38 Billion in 2015-16. It is noteworthy that this industry provides employment to around 3 million people across India.

Skill development in gem and jewellery enhances rural employment via institutional training and workforce transition. The Gem & Jewellery sector directly contributes to job creation by employing rural workers and persons from non industry backgrounds through training; GJEPC is opening an IIGJ extension campus in Varanasi to institutionalise vocational training under the Skill India initiative, preserve local craftsmanship, and support workforce transition into a sector that now provides employment to about three million people.