There was an undoubted air of vibrancy at the exhibition halls of The Lalit, venue of the India Gem & Jewellery Machinery Expo (IGJME), as the show opened its doors to visitors on Day 3. A steady stream of eager buyers, many of them interested enough in the displays to stop and ask further questions, was apparent, even as exhibitors seemed more than satisfied with the footfalls reported at the event now in its 5th edition, over the first three days.

IGJME 2017, held at an independent venue in conjunction with the much larger IIJS Premiere, was inaugurated on July 28th by Shri Manoj Dwivedi, Joint Secretary, Dept. Commerce, MoC&I, Govt of India in the presence of Mr. Shailesh Sangani (Convenor, PMBD) and Mr. Saunak Parikh (Convener - National Exhibitions) of GJEPC. This year the show has registered a significant increase in numbers with over 125 exhibitors, almost twice as much as the previous year.

On display across the four different halls – two larger and two much smaller – in close proximity to each other at a single venue, were a wide range of machines and accessories. These ranged from the much older casting and investment mixing machines, the relatively more recent laser markers and welders, to state-of-the art 3D printing technology. Manufacturing accessories like polishers, alloys, powders etc were also widely seen. The bustle at IGJME provides further confirmation of the higher levels of mechanization seen across the industry as more and more jewellers around the country are beginning the shift away from doing purely handmade jewellery.

“The exhibition is great, and we are doing very well,” said Silvano Aprili of Italian laser manufacturer Orotig srl. “This year we have a new add-on to our laser markers which will give a 99% recovery of gold ‘lost’ during working.” He confirmed that they had received a number of inquiries from all across India, and had already “closed some direct deals within the first two days itself”.

At the stall of Western Enterprises, F P Sethna the Proprietor was also positive. “The show has been good for the past two days – we are very happy to be part of the IIJS,” he said. The company has exclusive sales and supply contracts for India with a number of manufacturers from Germany, Italy and Japan. “Each year we have at least some new models with upgrades and improvements. This year, for example, we have casting machines, wax injectors and CAM with better software, improved capacities, easier to operate controls, etc.,” Sethna said, adding, “but ultimately it is our superior service and support that differentiates us from many others with similar products.”

Another veteran supplier to India’s jewellers is United Alloys, a US based refiner and manufacturer of alloys for use in jewellery. The company has been selling its products in India since the 1980s and has been at IIJS for more than a decade. Pratik Soni, United’s representative in India said that among the alloys used with gold, currently the pink colour shades are trending strongly. “This year we have a new alloy for 18k white gold which has a hugely improved shine and smoothness, resembling polished steel.”

 Soni said, “We have had a good response and in addition to our existing customers we also have made some new contacts.”

David Sun, BD Manager of the US based UNIZ is a first timer at IIJS to present the company’s new 3D printers to Indian jewellers. “We are entering the Indian market at this show,” he said, “and are quite overwhelmed to see the number of jewellers at one single event, unlike anything we have seen in other parts of the world.”

Their SLASH 3D printer is positioned as “the world’s fastest desktop 3D printer” and can work with resins to create jewellery models. “It is simple and easy to use, with one click printing and controls that can be adjusted as per need,” David stated, saying, “We see big potential in this show and in the Indian market.”