Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles Piyush Goyal laid the foundation stone of the Mega Common Facility Centre (CFC) at Santacruz Electronic Export Processing Zone Special Economic Zone on Saturday in the presence of Colin Shah, Chairman GJEPC, and Shyam Jagannathan, Zonal Development Commissioner, SEEPZ SEZ, along with others.

The stone laying ceremony marked the onset of the mega Mumbai project, which is a dream project worth Rs 70 crore, and which will be an epicentre of skill training and an important business facilitation centre situated in the heart of the country’s manufacturing centre for gems and jewellery.

Commenting on this occasion Goyal said, “I have rarely seen a faster execution of any project like the Mega CFC. Today’s stone laying ceremony should culminate in the inauguration of Mega CFC on 1st May 2023, which is an important date – Labour Day, Maharashtra Day, and the 50th anniversary of SEEPZ. However, do not compromise on quality and purchase the best equipment. The CFC building should be an iconic design. We need to have much bigger ambitions. The Government will do everything to reach the outstanding export numbers that GJEPC aims to achieve. SEEPZ will have an important role in our plans going forward. I urge the industry to focus on 3 Ts - Technology, Trade and Training.

“The gem and jewellery sector has power, promise and potential to truly realise the dream of the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It's time now to make this gem and jewellery sector in India truly a global champion, reflecting India's promise, capabilities, trust and let's make the next decade, the defining decade for the gem and jewellery sector.”

Shah said, “The Mega CFC at SEEPZ will redefine the future of the G&J industry. We are thankful to the Commerce Ministry, it has been a strong pillar of support to resolve our issues and understand our requests to help fulfil this dream of the Mega CFC Mumbai Project. There is a commitment of Rs 200 crore for the rejuvenation and redevelopment of SEEPZ-SEZ, and the establishment of a mega CFC with a budget of Rs 70 crore. This project aims to bring the gem and jewellery sector one step closer to the Atmanirbhar Bharat envisioned for the nation.

“Currently, SEEPZ contributes around USD 3 billion to our total gem and jewellery exports annually, but with better infrastructure and technology, it can contribute USD 7 billion to USD 10 billion annually. I am sure the Mega CFC will facilitate the required technology to boost the exports from the SEEPZ.”

Jagannathan said, “The new Mega CFC will give a fillip to small manufacturers to scale up their quality of production and this, in turn, will further contribute substantially to the exports of the country. The Mega CFC would not just be a facility for imparting training and skills, but a strong symbol of progress.”

The Mega Common Facility Centre (CFC) for gems and jewellery will be one of two such facilities (the other being at Surat) that shall provide cutting edge technology for manufacturing and other allied processes in gems and jewellery, and also support skilling and training for a competent workforce in the sector since the Indian gems and jewellery industry has the largest and skilled workforce of 4.3 million, as on date.

The Mega CFC, will provide common manufacturing processes and related services to jewellery units. This will not only help to reduce the cost of production in a big way but also lead to the transfer of know-how amongst these units, thereby providing a competitive advantage to them.