With just a couple of days to go before the inaugural edition of the GJS - India Gem & Jewellery Show 2022, organized by the Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC), takes off at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, the anticipation and excitement levels are high all around, both within the industry and GJC itself.

The event, which is being promoted with the hashtag #HamaraApnaShow, is expected to see the participation of 650 exhibitors, with 20,000 visitors likely to attend. It is being held between April 3 and April 6, 2022.

Here’s a look at what some members of the organizing committee have to say about the upcoming event:

Ashok Minawala, Past Chairman and Founding Member, GJC

An organization is recognized by the amount of knowledge it possesses and passes on. If there is no exchange of ideas, no new learning, that industry, that organization will not progress. So, for me, the best part of the upcoming GJS event is the splendid MindSpeak 2.2 seminar. GJS seminars will be a platform to learn, and a platform to impart knowledge. Our industry is full of very intelligent people, very knowledgeable people, and we need to learn from them. We need to have a healthy exchange of ideas, understand what is relevant, take advantage of collective knowledge, learn from those who are doing well in their business -- we need to learn from all. And this is exactly what MindSpeak 2.2 will strive to do – give an opportunity to industry personnel to learn from one another. We need to take advantage of the collective wisdom and learning of those in our industry.

Avinash Gupta, Co-convener, GJS

I am super excited about the GJS event. GJC has been waiting for this show since 2020, and our dream is coming true in 2022. We are really, really excited. Exhibitors have put in tremendous effort in making the inventory for the visitors. This is going to be the best-ever show in a world-class venue. The visitor count is going to be no less than that of the best shows. We have been working on this show since 2020. We are fortunate that we got so much time to work on all the pain points which were there and which we have observed in other shows. We have incorporated all our learning in putting up this show, and I am sure it will be a great success.

Rajesh Rokhde, Committee Member, GJC

As a retailer, I can say that it has been the most-awaited show for us. It is the industry’s own show, we feel a sense of ownership. This convention centre is opening for the first time, and when I look at it, it seems as if we have stepped 15 years ahead in time! It is a world-class venue.

With festivals such as Gudi Pawha and Akshaya Tritiya, as well as the coming wedding season, around the corner, we are sure there will be a lot of commerce. This is not just an exhibition – there are seminars as well, and everyone can learn about the industry, and the new trends that are seen nowadays.  A seminar on MSMEs is being held alongside, there will be a lot of learning. See, unless retailers stock new products, new categories and new designs, their business won’t grow. We also need to learn how to be customer-centric and how to improve our customer relationship. All this, and more, will be discussed during the show. The event is going to be the coming together of visitors and exhibitors. It will offer attendees an opportunity to network, and business will increase so much, it will be a milestone for the industry.

Saiyam Mehra, Convener, GJS

I am very excited about our inaugural show. As a convener and the Vice-Chairman of GJC, I can tell you the whole industry is excited about this show, and is looking forward to it. We have been facing the pandemic for the past two and a half years, and now we want to move ahead. The peak season is coming up -- the first week of April will lead up to Akshaya Tritiya, the wedding season, Chaitra Navratri, so there is a lot to look forward to. Gold rates came down yesterday, and today also they have come down. The whole industry is upbeat, the visitors are upbeat, they want to do their purchasing right now. They think this is the right time (after the end of the financial year on March 31) to buy jewellery.

We have put in a lot of hard work in making this event a success, For the past two and a half years, we have been meeting every week, each committee member has put in their heart and soul into this event, and I assure all the visitors that they will get a very different experience at the show. The venue, the food, the boarding, the parking -- everything is top-class. This is the first event for us at GJS, and this is the first event for JIO, it is going to be a landmark event for the G&J industry.

There are going to be seminars from 11 am to 5 pm every day, which will enable participants to upgrade their knowledge and share their ideas. Our seminars will also talk about how to nurture new talent, how to attract millennials to our sector. It is going to be a landmark event, and the talk of the industry.