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The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) initiated - IIJS Signature, Goa , a "Brand India" building exercise held from 20th February – 23rd February, 2009 at Kala Academy, Panjim, Goa, concluded on an upbeat and successful note.
IIJS Signature, a name parallel to quality, design & craftsmanship was conceptualized by the Council to promote Indian jewelry houses that offer products from Couture to mass produced in a vast price range to suit international demands.
Like last year, the show was held at the Kala Academy in Goa’s capital city, Panaji. Located at the confluence of the Mandovi River and the Arabian Sea, the venue has scenic surroundings and was easily accessible both by road and via its own riverside jetty. Bedecked in hues of orange and pink, the ambience at the venue, was vibrant and lively.
IIJS Signature 2009 was inaugurated on 20 February 2009 amidst much fanfare and pride. The formal inauguration ceremony was brimming with lot of optimism as Shri Digamber Kamat, Honorable Chief Minister, Government of Goa, Shri Pratap Singh Raoji Rane, Speaker Goa Legislative Assembly and Mr Vasant Mehta, Chairman, GJEPC, Shri Rajiv Jain, Vice Chairman, GJEPC and Mr Sabyasachi Ray, Executive Director, GJEPC did the honours of lighting the lamp. The audience was a mix of both Indian and International dignitaries.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of IIJS Signature 2009 Shri Digamber Kamat, Honorable Chief Minister, Government of Goa said, “I congratulate the GJEPC for taking the bold decision to go ahead with the exhibition despite the recession. This to me shows the gem & jewelry industry’s keenness to come out of the recession. The Industry has been doing profoundly well, with exports growing at a faster rate in the last few years.” Thanking the GJEPC for choosing Goa as the destination for IIJS Signature again, he expressed confidence about the success of the exhibition.
Adding to the sentiment and expressing his appreciation for the efforts put in by team GJEPC, Shri Pratap Singh Raoji Rane, Hon'ble Speaker, Goa Legislative Assembly, said, “The gem & jewelry industry has a 5,000 year heritage, and I am confident the industry will continue to grow from strength to strength. Consumption in India remains high, despite the recession and we all know that hard times don’t last for long.” Touching upon the vision and drive of jewelers across the country he said, “Innovative jewelers across the country will take the industry to new heights.”
Calling for optimism and hope in the face of recessionary trends Mr. Vasant Mehta, Chairman, GJEPC urged the industry to become even more assertive and competitive. In his inaugural speech that was met with applause and enthusiasm, Mr. Vasant Mehta said, “This show is an ideal platform to forge partnerships with India’s foremost jewelry manufacturers who display a sparkling array of fine jewelry collection with contemporary design and flair. A glance through the exhibits will showcase India’s growing stature as a jewelry production centre, an evolution which is apparent in India’s creativity and designs, in manufacturing and quality standards, as also in the conduct of business”
jewellery industry’s strength in all jewellery product categories, be it daily wear, couture, or heritage jewellery.
IIJS signature, a By Invitation Show, witnessed crème de la crème of Indian Jewellery Fraternity. 72 top jewelers of India showcased their brands/products ranging from essentials to Luxury, with wide ranged plain and studded jewellery .
Bucking the recessionary trends being witnessed globally, IIJS Signature 2009 hosted close to 1000 visitors, 250 from abroad and 750 from India. Additionally the show hosted 10 trade delegations from China, Syria, Uzbekistan, Hungary, Azerbaijan, Poland, UAE, Russia, Iran and Ukraine.
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Delegates from all the countries had interactive meetings with the Council officials. The delegates were quite impressed with India’s manufacturing and designing capabilities and have assured to take all possible efforts in building the trade between India and the respective countries.
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An MOU with the Shanghai Diamond Exchange has been signed by GJEPC which extends the possibility of selling Processed diamonds from India in the region, with China being the fastest growing jewellery manufacturing centre.
GJEPC in the past has taken Indian diamantaires to Schenzen and Shanghai to promote Indian diamonds. The agreement now extends to Beijing and Panyu too .
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With Russia and Iran, GJEPC has mutually agreed to host buyer seller meets in Syria, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Poland and Ukraine, and have invited them all to participate in IIJS 2009.
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The show hosted two seminars, ‘Trend Jewelry Forecasting 2010’ by TJF Group, Italy, Diamond Industry – New Realities by Martin Rapaport, and a panel discussion "Transformation Journey for Indian Jewelry Retail - Taking Stock" which was moderated by Neelesh Hundekari, AT Kearney.
Carlo Pignataro of the TJF Group, Italy updated participants on the looks for 2009 and took them through the four mega jewellery trends for the year 2010: Mythology in Progress, Austerity D-Luxe, Green Vision and Blur Reality. After taking participants through the mega trends, with colour palettes and indicative designs, Carlo stressed the importance of deciding on positioning with regard to price points, target audiences and target markets before embarking on new designs and collections.
“If we don’t believe in our diamonds, why should our consumers?” was how Martin Rapaport ended his fiery session on ‘Diamond Industry – The New Realities’. Urging diamondeers to wake up to the new realities of a change in the socio-economic and political tastes of the consumer, Martin pointed out that the ongoing recession was not the problem the industry is perceiving it to be. He also asked diamondeers to be transparent in their dealing with consumers, if customers are to continue viewing diamonds as an investment options they should be able to sell it back in times of trouble.
"Transformation Journey for Indian Jewelry Retail - Taking Stock" moderated by Neelesh Hundekari, AT Kearney saw industry experts touch upon various topics including transparency and change in the business Model. An enthused member of the audience joined the discussion by urging industry members to work towards furthering the industry’s image and position despite the hurdles and impediments. This sentiment was echoed enthusiastically by all present.
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Exclusive evenings were planned enabling the buyers and exhibitors to unwind from the hectic schedule and network amongst themselves.
Boat Cruise – Goa Carnival gave guests a chance to soak in Goa’s history and culture.
Evening at Shiro
DJ Aqueel had many guests dance the night away with his foot tapping music, while others had a chance to unwind and relax by the seaside setting.
Buoyed by the response to the show despite the economic scenario, one of the participants commented, “We are happy with the way it went and the way it was organized. I'll be back next year also, there's no doubt about it.”
Says Mr. Vasant Mehta, Chairman, GJEPC, “In keeping with our objective of leveraging the Industry’s reach to international markets, we have reached agreements with China, Russia, Iran and other CIS countries for promoting our diamond and jewellery products in these regions. With exports being limited to US and Europe, India is making an endeavor to make inroads in other potential destinations. Signature is an apt platform to build such foundations and forge partnerships for times to come." |
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This show concluded sucessfully. This site is for reference only.
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