India has been elected as the Vice Chair for 2018 and Chair for 2019 of KPCS. The announcement was made at the recently held KP Plenary Meeting 2016 at Dubai.

 Accepting the decision of the KP, Mr. Manoj Dwivedi, Joint Secretary, Dept of Commerce, MOC&I, New Delhi, and head of the Indian Delegation to KP Plenary Meeting said, “With all gratitude we accept the responsibility to be the Vice Chair in 2018 and the Chair in 2019. I thank European Union for their prudence and maturity in collaborating with us to reach this solution which creates goodwill and no ill will in our forum.”

Earlier, India had held this position of KP Chair in 2008. “Our approach will be collaborative, democratic and transparent to take this illustrious process to a new era of digital relevance and capacity building so that there will be equitable distribution of capabilities and standards, especially amongst the African colleagues with alluvial mining in managing the KPCS and issuance of the KP certificates”, added Monoj Dwivedi.

GJEPC Chairman Mr. Praveenshankar Pandya said, “I am happy to know that India has been elected as the Vice chair for 2018 and Chair for 2019 of KPCS. I also thank the Plenary for selecting India to be the Vice Chair of Statistics too and express our deep gratitude for the same.”

Mr Dwivedi further believes that the Vice Chair of WGS will also help India in preparing to take bigger responsibility of the Chair seamlessly. He further stated that the progression of Chairpersonship has been from Australia, a producing country to EU, a trading country, and India a manufacturing country of diamonds. KP, in the hands of varied capabilities, ensures a perfect balance in overall improvement of the system. He further stated that in the process, the responsibility travels three continents ensuring geographically equitable distribution too.

India has been an important member in the world gem and jewellery industry and this position as chair of KPCS reinforces our position and acceptance by the world. It may be stated that India successfully undertook the responsibility of Chair in the year 2008 also.