The Karnataka government and the Jewellers’ Association of Bengaluru have proposed a Jewellery Park around the city, which will be set up over 15 acres of land and is expected to provide one lakh employment opportunities in the State.
It will be an all-inclusive gem and jewellery industrial park with manufacturing units, commercial areas, housing for industrial workers and support services. “In the first phase, the government will allot 15 acres of land, on which 200 factory units will be set up,” said Prashant Mehta, immediate past president of The Jewellers’ Association.
The idea is to build the park in the vicinity of Bengaluru’s airport because of the jewellery movement that happens at airports. “We want to set it up within 30 kilometres of the city’s airport. But there have been constant delays in getting the land for the same.”
Delay
He stated that once the land is acquired, the project should be completed in two years. Though the project was announced in 2020, it has seen ongoing delays due to several reasons, according to the association representative. “The project was to be officially launched in September 2022,” he noted.
The association expects to add another ₹10,000 crore in export revenues once the park is operational.
“We are already witnessing a surge in exports from Karnataka. From April 2022 to February 2023, the gem and jewellery exports from the State saw a growth of 169 per cent to $150.33 million, as compared to $55.87 million last year,” said Vipul Shah, Chairman, Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), during the inauguration of the India International Jewellery Show (IIJS Tritiya), which is being held by GJEPC in Bengaluru from March 17 to 20, 2023.
Currently, the country’s overall gem and jewellery exports account for $40 billion, and the goal is to scale it to $75 billion in exports by 2030. “GJEPC is supporting the Jewellers Association Bengaluru in setting up the park and has also signed an MoU with the association on the same lines,” he added.
According to Shah, discussions are underway with the State government regarding the allocation and finalisation of land for the project.
Murugesh R Nirani, Minister for Large and Medium Industries, Karnataka government, said that the State offers multiple opportunities and possibilities and Bengaluru is the epicentre of South India’s domestic and international trade.
“We are now aspiring to enhance our gem & jewellery business as this industry contributes significantly to India’s exports. The upcoming park in Karnataka will become a significant hub of South India and generate more than 1 lakh jobs.”