De Beers and GJEPC plan joint initiative to promote natural diamonds

Global diamond business De Beers and the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council held a meeting in Mumbai to explore ways to strengthen India’s natural diamond industry, raise awareness, and boost sales.

The industry meet focused on the need to spread education and increase awareness about natural diamonds, the GJEPC announced on its website. De Beers’ global senior vice president Shweta Harit, De Beers Forevermark India’s vice president Amit Pratihari, and De Beers’ director of education Jodine Bolden noted India’s increasing importance to the international diamond market and called for a renewed focus on the country. The GJEPC’s Diamond Panel members Nilesh Kothari and Milan Chokshi were also joined by the traders’ body’s executive director Sabyasachi Ray at the event.
 
“The De Beers team emphasised the importance of leveraging expertise across the industry, to address market-specific challenges and provide education and support for retailers, particularly in smaller towns and cities,” announced the GJEPC on its website. “The De Beers-GJEPC joint initiative will focus on communicating the value of natural diamonds and encouraging retailers to expand their offerings.”
 
The GJEPC also recently met with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to highlight the positive impact of the government’s budget on the jewellery industry. GJEPC chairman Vipul Shah and vice chairman Kirit Bhansali expressed their gratitude concerning the announcements made for the sector in the new Union Budget and opined that these will help to enhance global competitiveness.