GJEPC Awards Key Indian Diamond, Jewelry Exporters

India’s top diamond and jewelry exporters have been showered with praise by the industry body the Gem and Jewellery Promotion Export Council (GJEPC) for their part in boosting the country’s extraordinary exports at the organization’s 31st annual awards.

In the cut and polished diamond sector, the top three places for DTC Sightholders went to Asian Star Co Ltd, K. Girdharlal and Laxmi Diamond, respectively, with Sheetal Manufacturing Co in fourth place.

Among other cut and polished diamond sector winners (non-DTC firms) were J.B. & Brothers, H. Dipak & Co and Hari Krishna Exports.

In the studded precious metal jewelry sector for exports from special export zones were Inter Gold (India) Pvt Ltd, Jewelex (India) Pvt Ltd and Goldstar Jewelry Ltd.

The prestigious awards are given to exporters and importers for their contribution to the Indian gem and jewelry sector and to students for their excellence in design and craftsmanship.

Industry leaders expect India to comfortably surpass its $13.3 billion diamonds and jewelry export target for this fiscal year and exports of $16 billion by 2007.

In addition to being the world’s number one diamond cutter and polisher, India’s domestic jewelry sector is showing extraordinary growth with annual increases of 25 percent.

In the April-September period this year, cut and polished diamond exports jumped 31.2 percent on the year-earlier period to $5.06 billion, while jewelry exports soared 85 percent to $1.61 billion. Meanwhile colored gemstone exports rose 20 percent to $101 million.

Total gem and jewelry exports have jumped 39.7 percent to $6.98 billion.