‘Jewellers must focus on women’s changing tastes’

Jaipur: A number of products, services and experiences, exploded in the past 10 years, are chasing us people the time reducing whatever monopoly jewellery had on their surplus money. Explaining the challenging times for jewellery industry at the inaugural function of the Jaipur Jewellery Show on Friday here, C K Venkataraman, managing director of Titan Group, said a Rs 10,000 watch is now fighting with Rs 12,000 Airpods and similarly, a Rs 2-lakh- necklace is fighting with a holiday in Bangkok for a family of four.

“How many in jewellery industry are really familiarized with the women that it serves or it is preoccupied with the supply part of the industry and the government regulation, which are important but are the jewellers or manufacturers spending time on the women that they seek to serve. Are they understanding how she is evolving and what are her expectations from jewellery,” said Venkataraman.

He said that can we create jewellery that sits very well in the weddings which she can also wear on a knitted top or fusion dress. “How can we contemporize jewellery that women want to wear it all the time? Can we make it relatively minimal, not so much in your face and loud, wearable and light? Is the colour of gold is bit softer? This sensibility of 2019 and going forward the jewellery industry has to focus more on so that it can fight that Bangkok holiday better,” added Venkataraman.

Senior officials of various organizations and agencies of the gem and jewellery industry also shed light on various aspects of the business. Chairman of Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) Pramod Agarwal said that in about 20 days Jaipur will be inaugurating India’s largest gem testing laboratory in Sitapura.

“By uplifting our workers and promoting the interests of the artisans we can witness further growth in this industry. The council has been working with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to set up a Common Facility Centre (CFC) in Jaipur to help bring out the talent of the artisans,” added Agarwal.

Giving details of the ‘The December Show’, secretary of JJS Rajiv Jain said that this year the show is hosting 825 booths in 2 lakh sq ft area. “Over 500 top retailers are attending the show. JJS as a show maintains its uniqueness with 72% designer booths. Not only is this, as a new feature, India’s largest curated jewellery & Style Destination – Indology is live from JJS 2019,” added Jain.

Courtesy: TOI