The 10th edition of the Jewellers Association Show (JAS-16) was inaugurated on Saturday by Hon’ble CM of Rajasthan Smt Vasundhara Raje in the presence of various dignitaries including Union Minister of State for Finance Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Industry Minister Shri Gajendra Khinvsar, Shri Manoj Dwivedi, Jt. Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India, Shri Praveenshankar Pandya, Chairman GJEPC and others.

The show is one of the leading jewellery shows in the country and is organised by The Jewellers Association, Jaipur. It showcases a large variety of coloured gemstones and jewellery collections from many of the country’s leading manufacturers. The theme of the show this year was “Tradition meets the Contemporary”.

Inaugurating the show, Smt Raje said that the gems and jewellery sector has ample scope to create more job opportunities in the country. She said that Jaipur is now recognised not only as a hub for coloured gem stones but also for jewellery. "The gems business in the state is over three centuries old. The meticulous and intricate workmanship has earned artisans laurels from corners of the world," she stated.

Smt Raje assured the industry of her support for their demand for direct flights from Jaipur to Bangkok and Hong Kong.

Shri Meghwal also addressed the gathering and said that details regarding the implementation of the GST would be decided by the GST council. He added that the Council will give special focus to labour-intensive sectors such as gemstones and jewellery.

In his address, Shri Praveenshankar Pandya urged the government to ensure that GST rates are not higher than the present VAT.

Shri Nirmal Bardiya, President JAS-16, suggested that the industry could also be considered for exclusion from GST as it is labour intensive and is already doing major value addition. 

The four day show ends on August 23. Besides the jewellery and gemstone displays, other highlights include a Jewellery Design Competition, the Artisans’ Gallery, a section for Budding Entrepreneurs, a Fashion show and seminars.