The Indian Institute of Gems and Jewellery (IIGJ), Varanasi, an educational venture of The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) was inaugurated by Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Adityanath Yogi and BJP President & Rajya Sabha MP, Shri Amit Shah at a grand ceremony in that city onSaturday January 20, 2018. The institute has been set up with the aim of helping the revival and modernisation of traditional skills and innovative jewellery craftsmanship in eastern India, and is in sync with the Hon Prime Minister’s vision of Skill India.

The institute will be providing quality training with appropriate certification/diploma to aspiring young students in jewellery designing and nanufacturing, the GJEPC and IIGJ said in a statement. Admissions to a one year diploma course at the institute have already commenced.

The IIGJ Varanasi facility occupies over 6,000 sq ft in Kuber Mall, Rathyatra area of Varanasi. It was set up by GJEPC, along with like-minded jewellery Industry business men and together with IIGJ, Mumbai in this city of enlightenment which is one of the oldest cities in the world, with the aim of helping to revive the traditional arts in the area, which are now fighting for survival.

These arts, that propsered for many centuries, have seen a decline over the past two decades, partly due to the lack of quality institutes imparting training in traditional skills. A study by NSDC on ‘Human Resources and Skill Requirement in the Gem & Jewellery Industry’ concluded that the unavailability of trained and skilled workers in the eastern part of India has retarded the development and growth of the gems and jewellery industry there.

 “This institution would be of immense help to the students in this region as the curriculum is based on a problem-solving design consciousness, linked to learning with actual experience and suggests that the jewellery designer could be a bridge between tradition and modernity,” said GJEPC Chairman Pramod Agarwal.

“It would also be a platform for future jewellery designers to re-examine the alternatives of growth potential in this sector,” he added.

Speaking at the inauguration, Shri Amit Shah said, “The world has best possible techniques in the field of gems & jewellery and India boasts of the best artisans and skills. By combining the two, we should move further in our endeavors.”

In his address, Shri Yogi Adityanath said, “Through the establishment of this Institute, GJEPC has taken a big step in reviving as well as retaining the traditional art of jewellery making skills in Kashi and surrounding regions.”

Praveenshankar Pandya, immediate past Chairman GJEPC said, “Over the years, Varanasi  has witnessed fast erosion of skill and talent due to large scale migration of artisans to other sectors for better job prospects. Gulabi Minakari in jewellery is the key strength of  Varanasi which would be further enhanced by skilled training.  With the setting up of Indian Institute of Gem & Jewellery in Varanasi, the aim is to revive our age-old artistic skills and their upgradation to match world standards. IIGJ would help increase and enhance the skill of karigars/minakars in Varanasi which would further significantly boost the total exports of gems and jewellery products from Varanasi and its adjoining area. I want more and more youths from this region to take this opportunity and make a career in this flourishing jewellery export industry.”

In addition to the new Varanasi facility, IIGJ has been running institutes in Mumbai, Delhi and Jaipur and is setting up an extension in Udupi also.