KOCHI: Import of jewellery-making machines will come down by 15 per cent in the coming decade as domestic machine manufacturers offer devices of the same or even better technology and quality at affordable price, according to Nikunj Shah, the chairman of Jewellery Machine and Accessories Forum (JMA Forum), the national- leval organisation of jewellery machine manufacturers.
Interacting with Express on the sidelines of Kerala Gem and Jewellery Show (KGJS ’17) which began in Kochi on Saturday he said price in the east and quality of the west is the new trend followed in the `800 crore jewellery machine manufacturing industry.
Shah further said, ‘’The compounded growth of jewellery industry in the country over the last five years is 16 per cent and machine manufacturing industry has also benefitted. Yet 65 to 70 per cent of the machines are still being imported. With improved quality and technology Indian companies are going to change the future where 60 percent of machines will be supplied by domestic companies and 40 percent by foreign companies.”
Shah pointed out that Indian companies are already exporting machines to central Asian and ASEAN countries. “We have customers even in the US and the Europe. Though export to the US and Europe is small in size now, it is growing. What attracts foreign buyers is nothing but the reasonable price we offer,” he added.
Shah is of the opinion that machines and automation do not affect the labour off manual manufacturers instead it helps them to carry out work with better perfection and efficiency.’’
‘’The issue of employment loss does not arise if one is ready to accept the changes in the respective field of work. Technology and mass manufacturing options do not overshadow the domestic hand-made jewellery segment,’’ he noted.
Referring to the objectives of just two- years -old JMA Forum, Shah said the initiative was aimed at complementing the manufacturing of jewellery for the export market, dominated by players having access to advanced technological solutions.
‘’Despite a late start, JMA Forum has made commendable progress and many milestones have to be achieved’’ he said