Exhibition on gems in Surat

The Jewel Mart is expected to see a large turnout of visitors from across the world. The "Vibrant Gujarat - 2003" is the Gujarat government's nine-day global investor summit beginning September 25.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and Reliance Industries would play an active role in the Vibrant Gujarat-2003 to be organised during the Navratri festival.

The Jewel Mart is being organised in Surat by the Gujarat government, Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

"Coinciding with the festivities, the Jewel Mart would provide an unique opportunity to experience the dazzle and glitter of the Diamond City of India - Surat," said CII Gujarat president Piruz Khambatta.

According to Khambatta, the prime objective of the Jewel Mart event is to evolve an action plan to make the gems and jewellery park comparable to global standards.

A series of road shows and marketing activities have also been planned to attract investments to the gems and jewellery park.

Several policy initiatives are being taken by the government including setting up of a gems and jewellery park with liberalised policies which would invariably provide an added shine to the diamond city to become a focal point for gems and jewellery industry in India.

According to Chandrakant Sanghvi, convenor of the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, Jewel Mart world form an excellent platform, to provide a direction and the way forward for the growth of gems and jewellery industry in Surat and development of the gems and jewellery park in the city.

The event would comprise an exhibition, a conference, one-to-one investors meet with top government officials and industrialists, and an exclusive fashion show for event participants.

"The event would be a convergence point for networking of gems and jewellery manufacturers, machinery manufacturers, traders, investors for joint ventures, technical experts, financiers, policy makers, institutions, international and domestic players from the sector, government and academia," Sanghvi said.

The exhibition will be held at Hotel Holiday Inn from 10.30 am to 7 pm from September 30 to October 2. A one-day conference is also being organised as a part of the event on October 1 at Hotel Holiday Inn.

Besides, a week-long handicraft exhibition is also being organised at the SMC Party Plot to show case exquisite handicraft items, which are in great demand worldwide.

Besides a food festival has also been organised to cater to the taste buds of the visiting visitors.

About 300 visitors from different corners of the world are expected to come down to Surat during these celebrations.

These visitors would be staying with well-known families of Surat where all possible facilities have been set up for a comfortable stay.

Arrangements have also been made to take these visitors around the city and other historical places so that they can have a feel of the diversity that Surat offers, officials involved in the arrangements said.