Strong footfall as India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) kicks off
MUMBAI, August 8, 2013 – Footfall was high on the first day of the India International Jewellery Show (IIJS), one of the largest jewellery trade fairs in the world, despite heavy monsoon rains and a tough economic climate.
Some 30,000 trade visitors, including 1,200 foreign buyers, are expected to attend the five-day show, according to the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC).
Country pavilions, networking events and educational seminars will feature in order to attract industry professionals and retailers.
Vipul Shah, Chairman of the GJEPC, told a news conference at the launch of the show that he expected gem and jewellery exports to slow after the government moved to cut the current account deficit and due to fragile global economic conditions, but he hoped that results would improve in the second half of this year.
He said that he hoped that the order flow at this year’s 30th edition of the IIJS at the NSE centre, Mumbai, which has attracted more than 800 exhibitors, would signal a recovery of the industry.
Shah said authorities hoped to establish a world class exhibition centre for the fair, which he said would require one million square feet of space. He gave no details or time frame.
“We hope that a longstanding requirement for a world class exhibition centre for Mumbai will be achieved as soon as possible,” he said.
Prithviraj Chavan, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, said the IIJS was well-timed to facilitate orders before the festival season, including Diwali, a busy time for jewellery purchases.
The IIJS ends on August 12.
