Future trade shows will, in all likelihood, take inspiration from IIJS Premiere 2021, and use it as a benchmark to up their game

IIJS Premiere 2021, GJEPC’S prestigious gems and jewellery event, got off to a flying start at Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) with a star-studded galaxy of distinguished personalities present at the opening ceremony.

The flag hoisting ceremony was attended by dignitaries including Murugesh Nirani, Minister of Large and Medium Industries of Karnataka, (CM Basavaraj Bommai could not be present because of the ongoing Assembly Session); Dr. E.V. Ramana Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary to Chief Minister; Suresh Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce; Colin Shah, Chairman, GJPEC; Vipul Shah, Vice-Chairman GJEPC; Sabyasachi Ray, Executive Director GJEPC, among others. 

Speaking on the occasion, Nirani said, “I convey my thanks to the organizers. I am very grateful that you are doing this show in Bangalore. Two gold mines are here in Karnataka. We already have two jewellery parks in Bangalore. We are also coming up with one more. We are willing to give all support to our G&J industry, whatever it is .”

According to Reddy, “It is indeed a great honour to witness such a surge in response in the G & J industry. We are a very progressive state. We are the only state that produces gold in the country. I hope in the following years also, you choose Bangalore as your destination. And we will give you our full support.”

Suresh Kumar also spoke, saying, “This is the beginning of a new era, as it is the first physical show and we made it happen. In the pandemic, G&J was one of the worst hit sectors, but we have bounced back so much! I hope we continue this trend. The response we have got for this show has been phenomenal and people are waiting for this transformation.”

In his speech Colin Shah said, “For the last 36 years we were in Bombay now we are in Bangalore. I can’t thank Karnataka government enough to have made this possible. I feel a lot of gratitude, we did this in a very short span of time. The government of Karnataka has worked faster than what some of us can in the private sector. We have 1300 exhibitors at this exhibition which has grown in size than what we have in Mumbai. We have already crossed 18000 visitor registrations as of today. In the last 2-3 weeks there has been a boom in the industry. The big worry is will I get my orders by Diwali and this a great sign. Bangalore has brought us luck. We have never been sold out before the show ever. Last month itself, we achieved 3 billion in exports. IIJS in Bangalore is the first stepping stone. We are setting up CFCs (Common Facility Centres), Jewellery Park in New Bombay and a gem bourse in Jaipur. None of this would have been possible without the support of the state government and the Centre.”

For the last 36 years we were in Mumbai, now we are in Bengaluru. I can’t thank Karnataka government enough to have made this possible. I feel a lot of gratitude, we did this in a very short span of time. The government of Karnataka has worked faster than what some of us can in the private sector. We have 1300 exhibitors at this exhibition. We have already crossed 18000 visitor registrations as of today. In the last 2-3 weeks there has been a boom in the industry Colin Shah, Chairman, GJEPC

Over 2500 booths were booked at IIJS 2021, Bangalore, and business worth $ 43-53 billion was conducted during the event. The show broke all its previous years’ records in terms of the number of participants and visitors.

Moving destinations after over three decades of being associated with one city was no easy task. But GJEPC and the state of Karnataka worked over time to get the show shifted to Bengaluru. This was the first major physical event to be held after Covid. It is expected to breathe new life into the gem and jewellery segment, and, in turn, boost trade.

IIJS Premiere 2021, Bengaluru, is an event that has, well and truly, become a benchmark for all future trade events. It will be remembered for times to come for several reasons – an event of this magnitude relocated to another city, the first physical show of this stature after a long COVID-induced gap of nearly two years, the coordination skills of the organizers, the cooperation and support of the Karnataka state government, and much more.

Just what the industry needed

One of the highlights of the event is that it defied the COVID pandemic, and gave a much-needed boost to the gems and jewellery industry, which has been through a lot in the past two years. The entire industry had been waiting with bated breath for a physical event to take off, and GJEPC rose to the occasion commendably. 

The change of venue got a mixed response from exhibitors and buyers alike. While some felt it did not measure up to the Mumbai venue, others did not sense much of a difference, and a few actually thought the Bengaluru venue was better. As one of the exhibitors put it, all kinds of people come to the Mumbai event, and many of them are not really serious buyers. This leads to over-crowding, which comes in the way of smooth transaction of business. What Bengaluru achieved was the filtering of the non-serious crowd. Resultantly, only those who really needed to attend the event turned up.

The buyer turnout, particularly, was excellent, coming, as they did, from all parts of the country. A lot of commerce took place, and even more enquiries were generated. Interestingly, lightweight jewellery emerged as the most coveted item. Even for bridal jewellery, buyers preferred lightweight items.

We have had 20,000 plus visitors; 10,000 companies have come here. The MSME sector has got good benefit of this show. All categories: jadau, kundan, polki, handmade, silver and other allied categories too are happy to be here. We are getting ready for the next event. IIJS Signature is being held in the near future. We thank the state government for their whole-hearted support for this event – Mansukh Kothari, Convener, Events, GJEPC