The Delhi Regional Office of The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) hosted an interactive seminar on key policy issues with senior officials of the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry at Delhi on September 6, 2019.

The seminar was addressed by Smt. Rupa Dutta, Economic Adviser - Department of Commerce; Shri Manish Kumar – Commissioner, New Delhi Airport; Shri Senthil Nathan - Deputy Secretary, DoC and Pramod Kumar Agrawal - Chairman GJEPC, among others.

Welcoming the dignitaries and members, Ashok Seth - Regional Chairman, North, GJEPC expressed the industry’s gratitude to the officials of Department of Commerce for resolving certain key policy issues which were hampering the growth of the sector.

GJEPC Chairman, Pramod Kumar Agrawal said that the Council was grateful to the Hon'ble Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, the Commerce Secretary, DGFT, Ms Rupa Dutta, Shri Senthil Nathan and other officials who had played an important role in addressing these critical issues and ensuring their successful resolution. He assured the Government that the industry would now work keenly towards boosting exports, generating employment and strengthening the MSME segment. He also requested that the replenishment scheme should be made operational with retrospective effect and suggested that similar steps need to be explored in the case of Sales to Foreign Tourists. The Chairman added that a Credit Committee set up by the DoC is also looking into issues related to the ongoing credit crunch and possible steps that could be taken in this regard. He said that the Council felt that branding of Indian jewellery was also an integral part of boosting exports from country.

Smt Rupa Dutta - Economic Adviser thanked GJEPC for working closely with the Department of Commerce. She expressed that resolution of this matter was a collective achievement of both the Government and the industry. The Government desires that the industry increases exports, and in the process, generates new employment opportunities. She asked the trade to come forward with new ideas and suggestions on how this could be achieved.

In the Q&A session that followed, member-exporters put forward a number of suggestions for strengthening sector and these were taken note of by the officials of the DoC.

Anil Sankhwal proposed the Vote of Thanks.