The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) today hosted a day-long seminar to create awareness among companies in the MSME segment of the gem and jewellery sector about the opportunities for exports and the various government schemes and GJEPC projects that exist for this segment of the industry.

Among the dignitaries who addressed the seminar were GM, DIC R Kannan; Sr Branch Manager NSIC G Kannan and banking expert S Narayan Murthy, Banking expert. They provided information about various schemes of the government especially those that could be of immense benefit to the MSME companies.

Addressing the seminar, K. Srinivasan, COA Member and Convener, Jewellery Panel, GJEPC spoke about the activities of the Council, highlighting the schemes that will help members and a number of welfare measures for the employees. These included Parichay Card, Swasthya Ratna, Swasthya Kosh, Call Center, etc. He also spoke about the importance of the IIJS organised by the Council and urged members to take advantage of the MDA scheme of the government to increase their participation in exhibitions.

Dignitaries on the dais included Anjali Srinivasan, Subramaniam of New Jeweler, which sponsored the seminar, SM Kamalahasan, Tirupati Rajan, consultant of Coimbatore Goldsmiths Association, and others.

Mithilesh Pandey and Surya Narayan of GJEPC gave a detailed presentation covering an introduction to GJEPC, government schemes such as Interest Subvention, Lean Manufacturing Competitiveness, Financial Assistance for participation in exhibitions held in the country and abroad, and the assistance provided by the Government through NSIC, under various MSME ministries, etc.

They also spoke in detail about the advantages of initiatives taken up by GJEPC such as Cluster Development, Common Facility Centers, Parichay Card etc and highlighted the recent launch of a GJEPC Call Center, Mobile App, etc.

Experts from banking sector highlighted the Prime Minister Employment Generation Yojana and its benefits for small artisans and companies with loans being available under the Kishor, Yuva and Tarun schemes. Representatives of Godrej, which manufactures safes and Union Bank also addressed the meet.

The Parichay Card scheme was launched in the city and cards distributed to some of the artisans. Nearly 250 people attended the meeting.