Udupi: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the jewellery made on the west coast of India is exported to West Asia and further even to the United States.“Of course, it caters to the needs of the Indian diaspora settled there. Large numbers of people still want jewellery made in our style, and therefore there is a market with high purchasing power. They can buy good jewellery. If centres like IIGJ can attract more students, it will support a growing trade in jewellery exports in India,” the minister said during the unveiling ceremony of the new Centre of Excellence at the Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery (IIGJ), of Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), in Udupi on Tuesday.“India excels in jewellery export and requires more highly skilled personnel to sustain this growth. We need to scale up this training centre and increase student enrolment. A collective effort is required to provide affordable training opportunities for rural youth,” she said.The minister lauded the organic growth and significant impact of the professional training centre for the gem and jewellery sector in Udupi, emphasising its role in strengthening India’s jewellery export capacity.“The centre, which provides specialised training by qualified personnel in partnership with the GJEPC, began in a very small place in 2016. Despite facing challenges, including two years of disruption due to Covid-19, the facility has grown substantially, aided by the cooperation of the district administration which provided extra space,” she said, noting that the GJEPC’s involvement ensures the curriculum is market-relevant, with the council introducing modern machinery for training in CAD and 3D printing techniques.The minister highlighted the centre’s word-of-mouth success model, noting that it avoids large-scale advertising. “The students who get trained spread the good word. This grassroots popularity has led to impressive results—600 people were trained in the last year alone,” she said.Nirmala shared a success story of a person with no prior family experience in the business, who trained at the centre and subsequently established their own jewellery-making business in Karwar. “Everyone who has gone out from this centre has so many good stories to tell you, as to how directionally their life has changed. It is making a big difference to young people who want to acquire some training and lead a life of their own,” she added.Udupi-Chikmagalur MP Kota Shrinivas Poojary, Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna and Kirit Bhansali, chairman, GJEPC, were present.
