(MENAFN- IANS) Mumbai, Aug 8 (IANS) India has a rich and ancient heritage in the gems and jewellery industry but it is constantly innovating and now the jewellers should create an international brand of India in this sector, Maharashtra Governor C. P. Radhakrishnan said here on Thursday.

Inaugurating the world's second-largest five-day India International Gem and Jewelry Show (IIJS), the Governor said that the industry players should not just create jewelleries but make them unique pieces of art.

"If only a jewel is made, it fetches around Rs 2-3 lakh, but if it is made as a beautiful, striking piece of art and given a brand identity, the same piece would fetch five-ten times or more," said Radhakrishnan.

He said the country has many indigenous brands in the gem-jewellery sector, and now the industry must strive to create a global brand of India with an emphasis on innovations, research and skill development of the artists.

The industry must aim to create wealth which in turn would help alleviate poverty and urged the Gemstone Jewelry Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) to collaborate with universities and make the students stakeholders in the gemstones jewellery sector.

Skill & Employment Minister Mangalprabhat Lodha, GJEPC Chairman Vipul Shah, Vice-Chairman Kirit Bhansali, Brand Ambassador and Miss World Manushi Chhillar, plus top industry representatives from India and abroad were present at the inauguration.

He urged every entrepreneur in this sector to impart the relevant skills to at least one youth as their contribution to society and focus on skill training for the younger generations.

Shah said that more than 2,100 exhibitors from 60 countries have put up 3,600 stalls and over 50,000 traders and sellers are participating in the expo, which opened at the Jio World Convention Center in Bandra Kurla Complex, near the Bharat Diamond Bourse.

On display at the IIJS is a breathtaking array of silver, gold, diamond, platinum, natural diamonds, lab-grown diamonds and other glittering gemstones in the business-to-business (B2B) exhibition.

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