Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stated that jewellery crafted on the west coast of India is exported to West Asia and even to the United States. Speaking at the unveiling of the new Centre of Excellence at the Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery (IIGJ) in Udupi on Tuesday, she noted that the jewellery caters to the Indian diaspora abroad.
"Large numbers of people still want jewellery made in our style, and therefore there is a market with high purchasing power. They can buy good jewellery. If centres like IIGJ can attract more students, it will support a growing trade in jewellery exports in India," the minister said.
She emphasized that India excels in jewellery export and requires more highly skilled personnel to sustain this growth. "We need to scale up this training centre and increase student enrolment. A collective effort is required to provide affordable training opportunities for rural youth," she added.
The minister praised the organic growth and significant impact of the professional training centre for the gem and jewellery sector in Udupi, highlighting its role in strengthening India's jewellery export capacity. She noted that the centre began in a very small space in 2016 and has grown substantially despite challenges, including two years of disruption due to Covid-19. The district administration provided extra space, and the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) ensures the curriculum is market-relevant, introducing modern machinery for training in CAD and 3D printing techniques.
Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted the centre's word-of-mouth success model, avoiding large-scale advertising. "The students who get trained spread the good word. This grassroots popularity has led to impressive results—600 people were trained in the last year alone," she said.
She shared a success story of a person with no prior family experience in the business, who trained at the centre and subsequently established their own jewellery-making business in Karwar. "Everyone who has gone out from this centre has so many good stories to tell you, as to how directionally their life has changed. It is making a big difference to young people who want to acquire some training and lead a life of their own," she added.
Udupi-Chikmagalur MP Kota Shrinivas Poojary, Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna, and Kirit Bhansali, chairman of GJEPC, were present at the event.
