Starting Off in Style

After four days of high fashion at The Grand Hyatt, venue of the India International Jewellery Week (IIJW), action in the gem and jewellery industry moved to the Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC), where the 28th edition of the India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) moved into high gear immediately after the inauguration.

Though visitors were expected in large numbers, with pre-registrations having touched a record 27,000, the crowds that thronged the aisle on Day One itself were truly unprecedented, and many booths appeared to be doing the type of brisk business normally expected on peak weekend days.

Te crowds in the aisles are expected to rise further over the next few days with trade delegations are expected from Bangladesh, Nepal, Uzbekistan, China, Iran, Azerbaijan, UAE, Russia, Poland, Hungary, Italy, Thailand to name a few and in addition, there will be a large number of delegations from regional trade associations from across India.

Earlier, the show was inaugurated by Chief Guest P.K. Chaudhery, Special Secretary, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India and Guest of Honour, H.E. Mohammed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman, Dubai Multi Commodities Centre.

Delivering the Welcome Address in front of a packed hall, Rajiv Jain, Chairman, GJEPC, said, “This year there are 1700 booths and over 800 exhibitors spread over a massive 42,000 sq m. The fact that 97% of previous participants are a part of this year’s show, speaks volumes about the success of the show.”

Chief Guest P.K. Chaudhery congratulated the GJEPC for the outstanding export performance of the industry, and added that it would undoubtedly play a key role in helping the country achieve the target of doubling its current overall level of exports by 2014. “The combination of the rich and diverse culture of India with the latest global technology is one of the real strengths of this industry,” he noted.

H.E. Mohammed Bin Sulayem said that the interaction between India and Dubai had grown manifold in recent years with many Indian companies opening offices in Dubai, and expressed the hope that ties between the two countries would be further strengthened through interactions at various levels including through shows like IIJW and IIJS.

Haresh Zaveri, Convener, IIJS Sub-Committee proposed a Vote of Thanks.