पत्रिका जगत Positive Journalism
Jaipur , 8th March 2019: After the bhoomi pujan of the first-ever India Jewellery Park, Mumbai, a mega initiative by the Government to take India’s jewellery manufacturing and trade to a new level, Shri Pramod Kumar Agrawal (Chairman, Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council) will now focus on the country’s first-ever world-class Gemstone Bourse. The first Gemstone Bourse in Jaipur is on the lines of the Diamond Bourses in Mumbai (Bharat Diamond Bourse) and Surat.
GJEPC is also in the process of setting up Common Facility Centre (CFC) for gem & jewellery MSMEs in Jaipur. After setting up recent CFCs at Amreli, Visnagar, Palanpur and Junagarh, the Government has recently sanctioned more CFCs in Coimbatore, Kolkata and Hyderabad. Two new gem and jewellery institutes have been set up by GJEPC at Varanasi and Udupi.
Shri Agrawal has already got in principle support from Rajasthan State Government officials. During the IIJS Signature 2019, Dr. Subodh Kumar Agarwal, Additional Chief Secretary-Industry, Government of Rajasthan State, had said, “We want to make Jaipur the gemstone & jewellery capital of the world. Technology is growing exponentially and is the key to innovate and stay ahead of the curve. The gem & jewellery business creates jobs and is non-polluting. The Rajasthan State Government is now in the process of creating a new Industrial policy to encourage such sectors. For MSMEs, we want to encourage self-regulation and waiver of all rules for 3 years.”
GJEPC Chairman Shri Agrawal heads the Ad-Hoc Committee for the Domestic Council for the Gems & Jewellery sector proposed by the Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry and Bhartiya Swarnkar Sangh, Jaipur is part of the process of the formation of the Domestic Council for the Gems and Jewellery sector. Shri Dulichand Karel, (Chairman-Bhartiya Swarnkar Sangh, Jaipur) is the representative.
Shri Agrawal has sought Government help to decrease the import duty on gold from 10% to 4%, decrease the import duty on cut & polished diamonds and gemstones from 7.5% to its earlier level of 2.5%, allowing 5% of FOB value of exports of cut & polished diamonds for the previous year to be imported duty free, declare the sector as a priority sector for lending and implementation of the Baba Kalyani report for SEZs in India.
Shri Agarwal also said that these trade friendly policies will facilitate ease of doing business and will go a long way achieving your dream of reaching US 75 billion dollar exports and creating 2 million additional jobs by the year 2025.
GJEPC has commissioned Cluster Mapping Survey, which is being done by National Council of Applied Economic Research to map and recommend what will make the gem & jewellery clusters in India strong, so that they can export the products they manufacture. Clusters in Rajasthan will also be included.
Shri Pramod Kumar Agrawal, Chairman, GJEPC, said, “India Jewellery Park is benchmarked with the best-in-class Jewellery Parks created in countries such as China, Turkey, Italy & Thailand. India Jewellery Park will contribute to the economic development of both Maharashtra and India by drawing in investment from across India and abroad. We request for maximum support from both State and Central government. We have already got a sanction of Rs. 50 crores from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry under the 12th five-year plan for Jewellery Park which we would request the Government to increase its contribution to Rs. 250 crores in way of creation of Common Facility Center inside the Park, effluent treatment plants, karighar training centre, design development centre, and technology development centre. We also seek single-window clearances and Workforce Welfare Assistance benefits for karighars of the India Jewellery Park, Mumbai.”
GJEPC Chairman has sought following assistance from Government for India Jewellery Park… (some of this will also be sought for Jaipur Gemstone Bourse)
GJEPC has sought the help of either the State or Central Government to provide security personnel for the Park free of cost because of the high value content, as the Central government has provided customs personal without any charges at the Bharat Diamond Bourse.
Special Incentives by Cabinet Sub Committee for industry, under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister of Maharashtra have the powers to sanction customized package of incentives and even offer special or Extra Incentives for prestigious Mega or Ultra Mega Projects on a case to case basis. Under such powers the project should be given the status of Ultra Mega Project. Also, as per the GJEPC, all incentives detailed under Group “D” of Package Scheme of Incentives – 2013 by Government of Maharashtra Industries, Energy and Labour Department should be made applicable for MSMEs and LSI occupying the units inside the India Jewelry Park, Mumbai.
GJEPC has sought waiver of Stamp Duty for the Units getting registered under IJPM including stamp duty for properties pledged for term loans for setting up the units should be provided. All Common Facilities like CFC, Design Centre, Effluent Treatment Plant, Recycling Plant should be free from FSI calculation, as per the GJEPC. Workforce Welfare Assistance to workers may be provided by Govt. of Maharashtra to the workers recruited by units under IJPM for a period of 3 years. After commencement of operations of unit, under IJPM Training Assistance of Rs. 3,000/- per year per employee for initial 3 year period will be given by Government of Maharashtra to garment units. The authorities will be contacted for customs clearance in time bound manner and for relaxation from checking to be given by granting “Star Export House” status. A Liasoning Officer from MAITRI cell should be appointed for this work.
These facilities will help the industry to invest freely at the park and also market the park abroad in UAE, Turkey, Italy, etc. also to bring FDI. India’s gem & jewellery exports account for a staggering USD 40 billion and the industry contributes 14% to India’s total merchandise exports. The industry employs 5 million (50 lakh) workforce across the sector currently.
Features of the India Jewellery Park, Mumbai
India Jewellery Park will be an integrated Gem & Jewellery industrial park with manufacturing units, commercial areas, residences for industrial workers, and commercial support services. It will have Common Infrastructure like compound wall with entrance / Exit Gates, Internal roads with Street Lighting, SDF Buildings for Manufacturing Units, drainage, Rain Water Harvesting and water supply, electricity supply including captive power plant, effluent treatment Plant, Water Treatment Plant, High Security System and Access Control, Bonded Storage, Disaster Management System and Infrastructure, telecommunication lines, solar energy, etc.
A comfortable working environment will increase the productivity of the people working at the jewellery trade. Self-content units will make the work place healthier, which will reduce the health issues of the workers and thus the medical expenses. Karighars can easily focus on quality, design, (Indian concept/ culture based designs) etc., which will support to convert the Jewellery Park to one of the biggest hubs for B2B and B2C business in future.
State-of-the-art machinery and infrastructure will help to reduce gold loss ratio from 10% to 3%. The gold dust can be recovered easily by suction system & drainage systems which is the biggest benefit for the Artisans. India can aim to become Zero loss manufacturers. This can save up to 40 tonnes of gold annually.
GJEPC is expecting support for infrastructure development from the ministry of MSME and the state Government for developing small factory cubicles with all facilities for the karighars and their vendors at the Park. GJEPC has asked that Maharashtra Govt. should create a one window clearance scheme for setting up the units inside the Park.
India Jewellery Park, Mumbai was inaugurated with the foundation stone laying ceremony by Shri Suresh Prabhu (Hon. Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Govt. of India); Shri Devendra Fadnavis (Hon. Chief Minister of Maharashtra); Shri Subhash Desai (Hon. Minister of Industries and Mining, Govt. of Maharashtra) in the presence of Smt. Rupa Dutta (Economic Advisor, Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry), Shri Raj Purohit (BJP leader), Shri Pramod Kumar Agrawal (Chairman, GJEPC), Shri Colin Shah, Vice Chairman, GJEPC along with the Committee of Administration of GJEPC.
The 21-acre land identified for the project is at Plot No. OS-12 EL, MIDC – TTC, Electronic Zone, Behind Nelco, Mahape, Electronic Zone, MIDC Industrial Area, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400710. India Jewellery Park, Mumbai, is a project of the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC). GJEPC will be entrusted to construct the Park as a special purpose vehicle (SPV). India Jewellery Park is estimated generate employment of 100,000 (1lakh) workers, enhance manufacturing, investment, export growth and overall economic development of Maharashtra & India. The Government has proposed housing for karighars/ craftsmen/ workers of the first-of-its-kind India Jewellery Park, Mumbai, under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. The housing initiative is in line with jewellery manufacturing zones created in countries such as China, Hong Kong and Turkey.
Shri Suresh Prabhu, Hon’ble Union Minister of Commerce and Industry & Civil Aviation, Govt. of India, said, “As the saying goes ‘Dhaal dhal par sone ki chidiya’ – Gold, gem and jewellery is part of our life, society and culture. We had taken several steps to enhance the stature of the gems and jewellery industry as well as increase the number of jobs created. The bhoomipujan of the India Jewellery Park today is symbolic of the direction of the future economic march of our country. We have to inject new energy into enterprise and business in order to generate more jobs and prosperity for the common man. We want to double our merchandise exports from USD 500 bn to USD 1 trillion and the gem & jewellery business will have a significant role to play in this endeavour. The gem & jewellery sector has created 50 lakh jobs on its own. If we get more diamonds as raw materials, we can process more. We are working on a strategy where we are targeting countries such as Russia and get all their diamonds, process and export them back to their country. On the jewellery side, every village in India has a jeweller and we have a flourishing domestic jewellery trade. We have connected to184 countries to promote all exports including indigenous gem & jewellery sector. India Jewellery Park will create 1 lakh jobs and indirectly create multiples of the same. We are in the process of creating a Domestic Gem & Jewellery Council through a democratic process. We want to double exports from USD 40 bn and generate similar amount of business from domestic sales. We shall make sure that the Jewellery Park project progresses fast and becomes as good and as well managed as the Bharat Diamond Bourse. For the first time ever in the country, the Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry is also the nodal Ministry for Internal Trade thanks to our Prime Minister’s vision. Enhancing domestic trade and international trade will be the backbone of our economy.”
Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri Devendra Fadnavis said, “India Jewellery Park, Mumbai, is a dream come true not just for GJEPC but also for Maharashtra Government too. When this idea was first mooted at a function organised by the Council, I had said that Maharashtra will welcome you and fulfil all your requirements. Gem & jewellery karighars/ craftsmen have to work under challenging circumstances including security concerns. I am hopeful that India Jewellery Park, Mumbai, will be one-of-its-kind and the best and most beautiful jewellery park in the world. Since India is showing the world the future direction in terms of gem & jewellery exports business, then the Jewellery Park, Mumbai also has to be the best in the world. We promised a single-window clearance and we have delivered it as businessmen only need to go to one office of MIDC to get all permissions. If we are able to give jobs to 1 lakh people through India Jewellery Park, Mumbai, then we need to arrange for basic amenities such as housing. Navi Mumbai has the maximum number of ongoing projects under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. We shall ensure that karighars will get housing very close to the Jewellery Park and create a whole new ecosystem. We have decided that by 2025 we shall make Maharashtra a trillion dollar (sub-national) economy and the gem & jewellery industry will be a significant part of this journey. The gem & jewellery industry’s investments of Rs. 14,000+ crore in the Jewellery Park, the exports and value addition generated will contribute to our trillion dollar economy dream. Your target of achieving USD 75 bn of exports in gem & jewellery is low and it should be increased to USD 100 bn. If you keep your target high, it will also help us in achieving our dream. I had urged the Council to start the first-of-its-kind Gems & Jewellery University in Maharashtra. My offer stands and I want the Council to help realise the dream of the first-ever Gems & Jewellery University in Mumbai or Navi Mumbai or in Maharashtra. As per the new private university norms, you can also start one campus right here in the Jewellery Park and plan an integrated ecosystem here. The hallmark of our Government is achieving scale and skill in every sector including the gem & jewellery sector.”
