Guwahati: North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation Limited and Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) successfully formalized a partnership on Monday (September 23)  through an MoU exchange held at the NEHHDC campus in Guwahati, to launch the Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery (IIGJ), Guwahati Campus. This collaboration marks a significant step toward the implementation of the PM Vishwakarma (Goldsmith) initiative in the North East Region, focusing on the upliftment of artisans and entrepreneurs in the gems and jewellery sector.

A PIB press release said that through this MoU, IIGJ (under the aegis of GJEPC) will bring its skilling and training expertise to North-East region. The collaboration will help implement the PM Vishwakarma (Goldsmith) initiative, offering specialized training and business development support to artisans and entrepreneurs.

In addition to the MoU exchange, several entrepreneurs and artisans from the jewellery sector were invited to participate in a discussion. They shared insights on the challenges they face and explored solutions for the upliftment of the jewellery sector in the region.

On this occasion, Dr. Sriparna B. Baruah, Advisor, NEHHDC, emphasized the importance of this collaboration in enabling the PM Vishwakarma (Goldsmith) initiative across the North East Region, fostering skill development and creating new opportunities for artisans.

Debasish Biswas, CEO of the Indian Institute of Gems and Jewellery (IIGJ), expressed his optimism that the partnership with NEHHDC will create a niche centre of IIGJ in the north-east region, offering industry-aligned skilling and training to local artisans and entrepreneurs, as well as industry associations, trade bodies and the next-generation aspiring jewellery professionals.

The event was attended by notable officials, including Siddharth Himmatsinghka, COO, GJEPC, Kaushik Ghosh, Regional Director, GJEPC Eastern Region, Koushik SV, Head of IIGJ Udupi, Lokesh Kumar Parganiha, Deputy Director and HoD, MSME-DFO, Guwahati, and Palash Bhowmick, Chief Manager, NSIC. Additionally, Santanu Deka and Bhaskar Kakoty from the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE) were present at the ceremony.

This MoU is set to create significant growth opportunities for the North East jewellery sector while preserving the rich cultural heritage of the region.