Thousands of jewellers, artisans, and trade delegates from across the world converged on Mumbai's NESCO Ground on Thursday, 6 August 2026 — and Union Food Processing Minister Chirag Paswan was there to open the doors. Paswan formally inaugurated the India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) Bharat Premier 2026, organised by the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), and addressed thousands of exhibitors, industry representatives, traders, and delegates gathered from India and multiple countries. Posting on X after the ceremony, Paswan described the occasion as an opportunity to address exhibitors and delegates from India and several countries worldwide. He underlined that India's gems and jewellery industry is 'desh ki arthavyavastha, niryaat, rozgaar srijan aur samridh paramparik shilpkala ka ek sashakt aadhar' — 'a strong pillar of the country's economy, exports, job creation, and rich traditional craftsmanship.' He linked the sector directly to the government's flagship drives: Make in India, Vocal for Local, and the long-horizon national goal of Viksit Bharat @2047.

Why IIJS commands a global stage

The India International Jewellery Show is the apex annual trade exhibition for India's gems and jewellery sector, run by GJEPC — the country's nodal export promotion body for the industry. The show draws exhibitors and buyers from across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and beyond, making it one of the largest jewellery trade platforms in Asia. For an industry built on lakhs of skilled craftspeople and a dense web of MSMEs, the show is less a trade fair and more a barometer of global demand and domestic ambition.

Artisans, MSMEs, and the export engine

India's gems and jewellery sector has long punched above its weight in export earnings and employment. The industry relies on a vast base of artisans and micro, small, and medium enterprises whose skills — cutting, polishing, setting, and handcrafting — are passed down across generations. Successive governments have woven the sector into broader manufacturing and self-reliance frameworks: Make in India was launched in September 2014 to accelerate domestic manufacturing and exports, while the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign of 2020 reinforced the 'Vocal for Local' push that Paswan invoked on Thursday. Paswan's presence at IIJS — a sector that falls outside his formal Food Processing portfolio — signals the government's intent to project cabinet-level political weight behind the industry's global outreach at a flagship trade event. With Viksit Bharat @2047 — India's centenary-of-independence development vision — now a recurring frame for sectoral ambitions, the gems and jewellery trade is being positioned not merely as an export earner but as proof that traditional craft and modern commerce can scale together. The next trade-policy review and union budget will reveal whether that framing comes with fresh incentives to match.