IIJS - INDIA INTERNATIONAL JEWELLERY SHOW 2013

The promotion of diamonds and diamond jewellery to consumers will be placed prominently on the agenda of the 35th World Diamond Congress (WDC), the joint biennial meeting of the International Diamond Manufacturers Association (IDMA) and the World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB), that will be held in Mumbai, India, from October 14 to 17. Sanjay Kothari, vice chairman of the Gem and jewellery Promotion Council (GJEPC), said at a press conference on Saturday that for the coming three years the GJEPC is expected to allocate close to $10 million on diamond jewelry promotion to consumers within India, adding that the Indian diamond and Jewellery industry had waited long enough for others to step into the void, and that it is now time for the Indian industry to take affirmative action and take the lead.

During the press conference, held on the third day of the International Indian Jewellery Show, Kothari explained that contrary to the past, India and China should take the lead in promoting diamond jewellery to the consumer public. "India is the most important market for us and we've resolved to start our diamond promotion efforts right here. We intend to allocate during the coming three years between two to three million US dollars per year toward this goal." Kothari reported that the GJEPC had begun communicating with the Diamond Administration of China (DAC), the highest ranking governmental body that regulates the Chinese diamond industry, to create similar efforts for the Chinese consumer market.