. India’s Jewellery Kaarighars, Craftsmen, Artisans & Goldsmiths are to be recognised as ‘Vishwakarma’
· Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, GJEPC sign MOU for PM Vishwakarma Scheme
· GJEPC will impart skill training to registered ‘Vishwakarma’ under PM Vishwakarma Yojana
Bengaluru, 21st March 2024: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the apex trade body, Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) appointing GJEPC as the implementing agency for Prime Minister PM Vishwakarma Scheme. The MoU was signed in the august presence of Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon. Union Minister of Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India; and Shri Sabyasachi Ray, Executive Director, GJEPC, was present on this momentous occasion.
Shri Sabyasachi Ray, ED, GJEPC, said, “Under the Kushal Bharat Viksit Bharat motto, this MoU will promote initiatives to bring speed and scale to India’s skill ecosystem. The primary objective of the scheme is to enable the recognition of artisans and craftspeople as ‘Vishwakarmas’ making them eligible to avail the benefits under the scheme. GJEPC will impart skill training to registered Vishwakarma under PM Vishwakarma Yojana for the trade of Goldsmiths across the country. GJEPC will facilitate Training and Skilling Centres in many regions and is poised to equip locals in the region with industry-specific skills, thereby creating employment opportunities and fostering economic growth in the region.”
As India is being positioned as a design-driven Jewellery manufacturing hub, the intent of the Central Government is to facilitate new talent to thrive and grow, as well as preserve and promote the cultural heritage of India’s rich legacy in handcrafted and bespoke jewellery.
About The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC)
The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), set up by the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India (GoI) in 1966, is one of several Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) launched by the Indian Government, to boost the country’s export thrust, when India’s post-Independence economy began making forays in the international markets. Since 1998, the GJEPC has been granted autonomous status. The GJEPC is the apex body of the gems & jewellery industry and today around 10,000 members are in the sector. With headquarters in Mumbai, GJEPC has Regional Offices in New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Surat and Jaipur, all of which are major centres for the industry. It thus has a wide reach and can have a closer interaction with members to serve them in a direct and more meaningful manner.
