Gem and jewellery exports could decrease by up to 25% this fiscal but recovery is gradually beginning: GJEPC

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Oct 19, 2020

India’s gem and jewellery exports could drop by 20% to 25% year-on-year during the 2021 financial year due to Covid-19-led disruption, with gradual recovery expected to get the industry back on track next year.

 
Due to the international trade and economic disruption caused by Covid-19, India’s gem and jewellery exports have dipped significantly during the current financial year, but gradual recovery has begun and the recent IIJS Virtual trade show saw some promising signs.
 
“We expect the exports to witness a decline of 20% to 25% in 2020-21, compared with last year,” said GJEPC chairman, Colin Shah, at the virtual closing press conference for trade show India International Jewellery Show Virtual, the Press Trust of India reported.

“With demand improving gradually, we should be at our 2019-20 levels next year. Growth will come back only maybe by 2021-22.
 
“This last week brought about that positivity and became a turning point again in this year,” said Shah. “A great amount of optimism has come into the industry again from the disconnect between buyers and exhibitors over the last two quarters. This became an event where I guess everyone came together.”
 
Gem and jewellery exports totalled Rs 2.52 lakh crore in the 2020 financial year, which ended on March 31 when the pandemic was just beginning to cause disruption in India. As the pandemic continues across the world, recovery in the jewellery export sector is still affected but pent up wedding demand and the current festive season has helped to ignite demand.
 
The GJEPC held the IIJS online from October 12 to 16 as its first large-scale virtual trade show. The traders’ body reported estimated business dealings worth Rs 1,000 crore at the event with over 9,900 meetings conducted.

Over 330 exhibitors showcased their jewellery and over 10,000 buyers attended virtually from countries including the U.S., UK, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Italy, Egypt, and Belgium, among others.