The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), in partnership with HRD Antwerp and the Embassy of Belgium in India, co-hosted the Indo-Belgian Diamond Forum at the Residence of the Ambassador of Belgium in New Delhi. The event was powered by INDRA \u2013 by De Beers Group & GJEPC, with Shivam Jewels as the Diamond Partner, BVC Logistics as the Logistics Partner, and Business of Jewellery as the Media Partner.<\/p>\n
The forum celebrated the strong and longstanding partnership between India and Belgium in the global diamond trade. It brought together industry leaders, policymakers, diplomats and entrepreneurs to exchange insights on the evolving landscape of the diamond and jewellery sector and explore new opportunities for collaboration between the two countries.<\/p>\n
The event was inaugurated in the presence of His Excellency Mr. Didier Vanderhasselt, Ambassador of Belgium to India; Mr. Kirit Bhansali, Chairman, GJEPC; Mr. Shaunak Parikh, Vice Chairman, GJEPC; Mr. Mansukh Kothari, Convener \u2013 Events, GJEPC; Mr. Stanley De Belie, Chief Operating Officer, HRD Antwerp; and Mr. Ramakant Mitkar, Managing Director \u2013 India, HRD Antwerp, along with other distinguished industry and government officials.
\nIn his address, Mr Kirit Bhansali, Chairman, GJEPC, stated, “This year, India is honoured to serve as the Chair of the Kimberley Process for 2026. This responsibility reflects the trust the international community places in India\u2019s leadership in promoting transparency, responsible sourcing, and ethical practices in the diamond trade.\u00a0At the same time, India is taking important steps domestically to strengthen consumer confidence in diamonds.<\/p>\n
“Through a series of Free Trade Agreements, India is strengthening global trade partnerships and improving market access for its jewellery exports. Agreements with the UAE, Australia, and EFTA countries are already delivering strong results by reducing duties and enhancing competitiveness for Indian jewellery. At the same time, recently concluded agreements such as the European Union \u2014 often described as the \u201cmother of all FTAs\u201d \u2014 along with UK, New Zealand and Oman, are expected to open even greater opportunities for the sector.”<\/p>\n
A panel discussion during the forum explored key trends shaping the global diamond and jewellery industry, including consumer preferences, branding of natural diamonds, technological innovation, and opportunities for strengthening Indo-Belgian trade ties. The discussion featured Mr. Shaunak Parikh, Vice Chairman, GJEPC; Mr. Sabyasachi Ray, Executive Director, GJEPC; Ms. Toranj Mehta, Vice President Marketing, De Beers India; Mr. Priyal Shankar, Director, Shivam Jewels; Mr. Oushnik Chandra, CEO, PC Chandra Jewellers; and Mr. Ramakant Mitkar, Managing Director \u2013 India, HRD Antwerp.<\/p>\n
The session was moderated by Mr. Prasad Kapre, Industry Analyst & Consultant at Blue Sky Business Management Group, who guided the discussion on the future of natural diamonds and global market dynamics.<\/p>\n
Through such international engagements, GJEPC continues to strengthen global partnerships and reinforce India\u2019s role as a key pillar of the global gem and jewellery industry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), in partnership with HRD Antwerp and the Embassy of Belgium in India, co-hosted the Indo-Belgian Diamond Forum at the Residence of the Ambassador of Belgium in New Delhi. The event was powered by INDRA \u2013 by De Beers Group & GJEPC, with Shivam Jewels as the Diamond…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35571,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[],"thb-sponsors":[],"class_list":["post-35570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bulletin"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n