Varanasi : The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) has set up the first-of-its-kind Indian Institute of Gem & Jewellery (IIGJ) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, to boost skill development in the country.
Gem & Jewelry sector has direct impact on job creation, said Commerce & Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman adding that this is one sector which has different sub-sectors by which gem & jewelry industry provides maximum jobs to people who come from rural areas and also with non-gem & jewelry background through proper training.
She said this addressing at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Indian Institute of Gem & Jewellery (IIGJ) Varanasi Extension Campus in Varanasi.
She said GJEPC has come here to see that the talent which has been cultivated here for years is not lost and it is our responsibility to not only identify and support but ensure that the process is handed over to the next generation.
Praveenshankar Pandya, Chairman, GJEPC, said that GJEPC, the apex gem & jewellery body in India has always strived to support Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s vision for putting India on the trajectory of growth through numerous initiatives, one such being ‘Skill India’ .
India’s Gem & Jewellery Industry over the years has grown from a mere US$ 28 Million in 1966-67 to US$38 Billion in 2015-16. It is noteworthy that this industry provides employment to around 3 million people across India.
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