Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha urges jewellery industry to boost skills training facilities

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Oct 20, 2022

Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Minister of Tourism, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship for Maharashtra, called for the jewellery industry support for skills training when he recently visited the Bharat Diamond Bourse.

Lodha addressed gem and jewellery stakeholders at the Bharat Diamond Bourse and assured them of the Maharashtra state government’s full support for the growth of the jewellery industry, the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council announced on its website. Lodha also called on the industry to continue its charitable approach and aid the renovation of skills training institutes for underprivileged citizens in the state. 
 
“It would be immensely helpful if the gem and jewellery industry adopts one or two institutes for imparting skills related to gem and jewellery related courses,” said Lodha in his address, the GJEPC reported. “The state also has 9,200 Anganwadis for kids who live in slums. Unfortunately, most of these centres are run in makeshift rooms and are rundown. It costs about Rs 25,000 per month for the upkeep, and similarly, we need to impart skill training to orphans and juveniles living in about 40 homes for beggars.”

Following Lodha’s address, the Gem & Jewellery National Relief Foundation and GJEPC’s former chairman Praveenshankar Pandya pledged that the GJNRF will adopt an Anganwadi. Pandya also pledged that the Gem & Jewellery Skill Council of India will work with the Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery to over to revamp one of the training institutes.