The 14th edition of IIJS Signature 2022, organised by the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, NESCO, Mumbai, concluded successfully on 21st February.

The show witnessed nearly 950 exhibitors who occupied 1,470 booths spread across four exhibition halls. There were more than 17242 visitors, including 571 international visitors and delegations from USA, UAE, Egypt, Nepal, Uzbekistan, and Bangladesh.

The event has generated an estimated business of Rs 5000 crore, according to GJEPC.

The four-day show was inaugurated by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, who was the Chief Guest, along with Parshottam Rupala, Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying; Darshana Jardosh, Minister of State for Railways & Textiles; Gopal Shetty, Member of Parliament; Vipul Bansal, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce; Colin Shah, Chairman, GJEPC; Shri Vipul Shah, Vice Chairman, GJEPC; Shailesh Sangani, Convener, National Exhibitions, GJEPC; and Sabyasachi Ray, ED, GJEPC, in the presence of other dignitaries.  

Colin Shah, Chairman, GJEPC said, “We put up IIJS Signature 2022 in a record time of just three weeks. The unequivocal success of IIJS Signature 2022 is a testament to the fundamental strength of the Indian market and economy at large. And it proves that IIJS Premiere 2021 was not just an aberration. The rise in diamond prices by almost 50% since last September had the left the buyers sceptical about their buying decision. However, IIJS Signature turned out to be a testing ground for buyers, who wanted to compare rates between exhibitors on the show floor. Since the price rise was uniform, it offered assurance to buyers and propelled them to book orders. Overall, the show generated an estimated business of Rs 5000 crore. At the export front, with the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with UAE, we are confident to achieve the set target of USD 52 billion gem and jewellery exports for the financial year 2022-23.”

 Commenting on the subsidy given to MSMEs to participate at IIJS Signature, Vipul Shah, Vice Chairman, GJEPC said, “The Council through its persistent efforts was able to enlist IIJS Signature 2022 trade fair under the Ministry of MSME’s ‘Procurement and Marketing Support Scheme’. This enabled 94 MSME members to participate in IIJS Signature, while availing exhibition reimbursements of up to Rs.1.5 lakh each. I thank the Ministry of MSME and MSME-DI Office in Mumbai for the support extended to our MSME exporters which will help them in tapping new prospective buyers thus developing their business and amplifying India’s exports.”

Shailesh Sangani, Convener, Exhibition (National), GJEPC “We have been able to pull off yet another successful show by following all the covid-safety protocols. This would not have been possible without the support of participants who had implicit faith in us. I would like to thank our exhibitors and buyers from the bottom of my heart for supporting us all the way in putting up this show successfully.”

Show trends:

In the gold section, lightweight contemporary lines especially in the pret wear segment were popular. Many collections were conceived using laser and 3D technology to curb metal weight.

Although demand for larger bridal gold lines is still strong, buyers wanted lighter pieces that are big in form and easier to wear. Modular sets, too, are being sought to optimise the wearability quotient of jewellery for various occasions other than just weddings.

Fancy-shaped diamonds set in couture jewellery were being preferred. Large-carat diamonds in fancy colours such as yellow and pink were trending.

In the bridal segment, jadau jewellery embellished with pastel colour gemstones such as morganites, rose quartz, Russian emeralds, opals, aquamarines, tourmalines, etc. were a common sight.

The silver section featured an assortment of jewellery for pret and bridal wear and beautifully carved silver artefacts including idols, temples.