RAPAPORT... Spread over five days — from August 30 to September 3 — the India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) 2007 generated a lot of excitement. More than 740 exhibitors and 1,581 standard exhibition booths represent a 15 percent increase over the 2006 show. Seminars covered a wide array of topics, including the benefits of joint business models, the importance of the internet, the need for professionalism to grow businesses, hallmarking of gold jewelry — which will become mandatory in India as of January 1, 2008 — diamond treatments and how to identify them, luxury retailing and the importance of innovative marketing.
According to the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), the IIJS is the fifth-largest trade show in the world. Commenting on this year’s IIJS, Sanjay Kothari, chairman, GJEPC, says, “We have had a very successful event, but we cannot afford to be complacent with it, as our endeavor is to make it a bigger success next year. If today it is the fifth largest show, we have to see how it can figure in the top three shows by next year.”
MINISTERS SPEAK
During the inaugural session of IIJS 2007, Ashwani Kumar, Indian minister of state for industries, called on the gem and jewelry industry to adopt techniques on a par with the global requirements as this would invariably help with the development of the domestic jewelry production and retail industry.
In an attempt to strengthen international relations, GJEPC usually invites foreign delegates and this year, IIJS’ guest of honor was Thailand Commerce Minister Krikkrai Jirapaet, who also led his country’s delegation to the IIJS. Jirapaet admitted his ignorance about the gem and jewelry industry, with the exception of the prices of jewelry, as his wife is an avid jewelry shopper. He also expressed his surprise and pleasure at seeing diamond deals being transacted on the street at Opera House in Mumbai.
During the press conference on the show’s first day, prior to the ABN-AMRO Solitaire Design Awards ceremonies, Indian Minister of State for Mines T. Subbarami Reddy said that India welcomed the participation of international mining companies in the exploration for gold and diamonds in the country. This is being seen as a positive move by the government in the development of the sector, as international expertise could bring many advantages.
During one session of the show, Kothari also added some good news by announcing that the process of forming a National Council for Gems and Jewelry had begun. He expects the new council to be formed within a year.
PARTICIPANT COMMENTS“The show this year was much better and we are getting inquiries from many potential buyers across India, though the number of international buyers is not that many. The show needs to be marketed well. But overall, we are pleased with the organization,” said Pinkesh Zota, director, Diam Circle. Sunil Shah from Diacentre also expressed his concern over the smaller number of buyers from overseas but was, overall, happy with the organization of the show. On the other hand, Pranav Zaveri of Abhay Navinchandra commented, “The show organization has improved considerably. If one is looking for international buyers, then he/she has to go to international shows. IIJS is a place for domestic and national buyers, primarily.” Comparing IIJS to the JCK Show held at New Delhi in July, Zaveri said, “JCK did not live up to its name. They could have done much better. The show was satisfactory from the business point of view but not from the organization point of view.”
Devang Shah, director, Supergems (India) Pvt. Ltd., said, “Compared to the previous year, IIJS 2007 was a very active show for us with relevant clients, mainly from India and a few from overseas, approaching us for long-term business opportunities.”
A participant from Jaipur, Pankaj Jain, director, Kalajee Jewellery, praised the show, saying: “We have been participating in the IIJS for the past five years and we have seen the show getting better and better with each passing year. The show has grown to quite some extent and we have people coming from all over the world. It provides a good opportunity for people in India to upgrade, as there are a lot of international exhibitors as well. My only issue is that GJEPC should devise some mechanism to control the flow of the crowd and restrict the show to only serious buyers.” Saket Mehta from Sur Gems returned to the IIJS after an absence of three years. “We are concentrating on the export market, hence the break,” he explained. “After a gap of three years, we find that the show has become ten times bigger. Our reason for participation is to tap more of the national buyers from across India.” Mehta, too, felt that this show is primarily for the national market and if someone is keen on tapping only international buyers, then they should look at international shows.
Expressing displeasure at the show’s poor facilities, Vishal Doshi from Padma Gems noted that “The response that I have received from the buyers is very positive, but as far as facilities are concerned, the internet connection was negligible. Parking, too, needs to be addressed. Another point that I would like to make is that the members of GJEPC should be given at least one free pass, as this is the only annual event that they have. The prices for entry passes are way too high.” Yash Choradia, partner, Ratnalaya, agreed. “I think that they should not charge international buyers if they want more participation. If an international buyer is spending $300 to $400 on tickets and hotel and airfare for the show, then they should at least provide free passes to them. But overall, I am very much pleased with the way the show has been conducted over the years. The management left no stone unturned in promoting and marketing the show to attract participants and buyers.”
International exhibitors overall seemed satisfied with the response they got from the show, although there was some criticism of the facilities provided. Gaurang from J. Pinchasi Diamonds, Belgium, suggested improvements in the mobile phone network and Prashant Shah, Khushali Enterprise Co. Ltd., Bangkok, said, “The response we have received so far is fine, but in terms of services being offered, a lot needs to be done. Cleanliness is a major issue that needs to be addressed.”
GJEPC RESPONSESpeaking about international participation, Kothari responded that “In terms of international buyers, we had a presence of 1,500 registered buyers and we also had delegations from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Thailand, Turkey, etc. There were 120 stalls occupied by international exhibitors from across 22 countries.”
When asked to comment on the fact that registration fees were a concern with some participants, Kothari said, “We cannot revise or waive the fees, either for national or international visitors. Our aim is to reach a higher level [of show status] and hence no compromise can be done in this area. We have provisions for early participation where the fees are much cheaper and people should take advantage of that and register themselves early on.”
All things considered, IIJS 2007 as a show seemed to be a huge success, considering its scale and environment, since it was raining for almost all of the show days. In terms of cafeterias, segregation of halls and security, the facilities were all well managed. The results of the business generated from the show won’t be known for another three to six months, but overall, everyone went away with smiles on their faces.
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - October 2007. To subscribe click here.