All India Gem & Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC) sets the 2025 Growth Vision for India’s gems & jewellery sector at  Manthan Gems & Jewellery Conclave 2018

Mumbai, April 10, 2018: The All India Gem & Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC), formerly known as All India Gems & Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF), announced Manthan Gems & Jewellery Conclave 2018 supported by World Gold Council and powered by GIA on April 5- 6 at Hotel Sahara Star, Mumbai. Manthan Gems & Jewellery Conclave 2018 was inaugurated by BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain in the presence of Nitin Khandelwal (Chairman, GJC), Anantha Padmanaban (Vice Chairman, GJC), Manoj Kumar Jha (Convenor-Manthan, GJC) and Shaankar Sen (Jt. Convenor-Manthan, GJC) and BJP leaders Girish Vyas & Hyder Azam.

The keynote speakers for Manthan 2018 included Saurav Ganguly (legendary cricketer), Industrialists Suresh Narayanan (CMD, Nestle), . Vivek Chaand Sehgal (Chairman and co-founder Samvardhana Motherson Group), Shriprakash Shukla (President Group Strategy and CBO, Mahindra & Mahindra group), . Sudhanshu Mittal (Director, Nasscom), M. P. Ahammed (Chairman, Malabar Gold & Diamond) and Asher O. (MD, Malabar Gold & Diamond) amongst others.

Nitin Khandelwal, Chairman, GJC, said, “With Manthan 2018, we shall launch our Vision 2025 program for an indigenous gems & jewellery sector sized at USD 100 billion in sync with our Prime Minister’s Vision of promoting Indian handcrafted jewellery and designs. India’s gems and jewellery business is a sterling example of Make-in-India contributing around 7% of the country’s GDP. The sector provides jobs to more than 46 lakh people of the country, thus making significant contribution to the country’s socio-economic framework. GJC has a roadmap for adding 2 million (20 lakh) new jobs in the gems & jewellery sector including 40% of the new jobs for women. West Bengal Government has given land sized 25,000 sq. ft for a gem & jewellery park at Ankurhati, Domjur, and Maharashtra Government proposes gem & jewellery park on 25-acre land in Navi Mumbai. Manthan 2018 will be the first amongst many more by GJC to usher in a new phase of evolution for Indian jewellers especially in terms of showcasing our design capital, marketing, distribution and merchandising capabilities.”

The inaugural session was followed by Ashok Minawala (Director, Danabhai Jewellers) explaining the essence of Manthan followed by Day 1 Panel Discussions on Design Through Inspiration (featuring Umesh Ganjam from Ganjam Jewellers amongst others moderated by Gunjan Suri of Gunjan Suri Couture Jewels); The Business of Luxury (featuring Harish Chainani of Swiss Promotions; Rahil Ansari of Audi India and Ishu Datwani of Anmol Jewellers amongst others moderated by Ashok Minawala); The Changing Dimensions of Technology (featuring Rajiv Popley of Popley & Sons; Sudhanshu Mittal of NASSCOM and Bhavik Chinai of BVC amongst others moderated by Vinayak Godse of DSCI Cyber Security); Preparing for an IPO (featuring Vikas Kataria of DP Jewellers; Shaankar Sen of Senco; Rohan Suryavanshi of Dilip Buildcon amongst others moderated by Pinak Bhattacharyya from India Infoline); From Good to Great – Make Change Happen (featuring MP Ahammed and O. Asher from Malabar Gold; Ramesh Narang from Huzoorilal; Rajiv Arora from Amrapali amongst others moderated by Pooja Jain from Times Network); Expert Talk by SP Shukla from Mahindra & Mahindra on Marketing in the Age of Disruptive Innovation; Creating a Lasting Brand (featuring Kamal Khushlani from Mufti; Kumar Rajgopalan from RAI and moderated by Ajita Shashidhar from Business Today).

Day 2 started off with a Keynote address on building a Global Conglomerate by Vivek Chaand Sehgal (Chairman, Samvardhana Motherson Group) followed by Panel Discussion on Women and Entrepreneurship – A Perspective (featuring Farah Ali Khan, Vaijayanti Kaigaonkar from Chintamani’s; Seema Mehta from Kirtilal’s amongst others moderated by Nirupa Bhatt, MD – India & Middle East, GIA); Expert Talk on Crisis Management by Suresh Narayanan (CMD, Nestle India); Gen-Next of Jewellery (featuring Suvankar Sen from SENCO Gold; Anand Ramanujam from NAC Jewellers; Raashi Zaveri from TBZ Ltd.; Mohit Shekhar from Manoharlal Jewellers moderated by Manoj Jha from Kamakhya Jewels); Ethics and Business (featuring PR Ramesh, Chairman, Deloitte; Rajesh Khosla, MD, MMTC; Sudha Shrimali from Navbharat Times amongst others moderated by Vinod Hayagriv from CKC & Sons); Expert Talk on Synthetic Diamonds by Ashish Mehta, Partner, Kantilal Chotalal; and the Final Panel Discussions on G&J Industry – Mann ki Baat (featuring Pramod Agarwal, Chairman, GJEPC; Somasundaram PR, MD, World Gold Council; GV Sreedhar, IPC and Fatehchand Ranka from Mahasrashtra Rajya Saraf Swarnakar Federation; moderated by Nitin Khandelwal, Chairman, GJC).

GJC’s Manthan 2018 conclave turned to be one of its kind initiative for the benefit of the Gems and jewellery industry. Participants learnt the insights about how to grow business while learning the ways and means to implement and successfully execute it to earn multiple benefits. It has become an annual platform for knowledge sharing and the flagship event will help in promoting a common platform to share expertise & knowledge. The conclave set the 2025 Growth Vision for India’s gems & jewellery sector, a one-of-its-kind initiative, which will provide insights to jewellers about how to grow their diverse businesses in a sustainable manner; implement and successfully execute their strategies to earn multiple benefits.

Manoj Kumar Jha, Convenor-Manthan, GJC, said, “GJC’s Manthan Conclave 2018 is a first-ever milestone event in the history of Indian gems and jewellery sector. Coming on the heels of challenging times, Manthan 2018 unified the G&J sector like never before with 900+ top entrepreneurs, promoters, CXOs, aspirants and students spending 2 full days discussing ,deliberating and debating the future of G&J business learning from the best and most inspirational business leaders of Corporate India. Congratulations are pouring in from all across the country from the remotest parts where jeweller members appreciated immense value created at Manthan 2018! GJC has achieved the unthinkable and the unimaginable thanks to Chairman’s vision and active participation from GJC Board as well as support and cooperation from the Manthan Committee and team! Special heartfelt gratitude to all attendees and participating speakers including legendary stalwarts and iconic doyens of the Indian G&J sector and distinguished speakers from 12 different industries! We are proud that we DREAMT about it and DID it!”

Shaankar Sen, Jt. Convenor-Manthan, GJC, said, “GJC is an elite and apex body of the country and have firmly stood over the years for industry’s issues and challenges. GJC has also been serving as a bridge between the Government and the trade, and undertaking various initiatives on behalf of and for the industry. Through Manthan 2018, GJC also seeks to ignite the gems and jewellery industry to transform businesses and double earnings in the next five years.”

All India Gems & Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC) is an apex and responsible body for the domestic Gems & Jewellery Industry since 2005. As a self-regulated trade body, GJC since the last 13 years has been serving as a bridge between the Government and trade as well as undertaking various initiative on behalf of and for the industry. It represents over 4,00,000 players comprising manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, distributors, laboratories, gemmologists, designers and allied services to the domestic gems & jewellery industry. The gems & jewellery industry is a hand crafted and labour intensive with over 1 crore strong labour force directly and indirectly engaged in the jewellery manufacturing industry in the domestic sector. It adopts 360 degree approach to promote and protect the industry interest.

GJC also initiates various promotional activities to further retail businesses as well as manufacturing segments through various dedicated platforms designed for the purpose. With the view to develop skills, promote entrepreneurship and expand career opportunities, GJC undertakes various educational programmes for skills upgrade of artisans, retail segment, etc., offers sponsorship to deserving design students and works closely with various gem and jewellery institutes to encourage talent and facilitates opening up of opportunities for an emerging workforce. GJC also undertakes various CSR activities on behalf of the industry workers to promote and ensure safe and secure working environment for its large workforce.