Ease of Doing Business for MSMEs: The national body of the gems and jewellery business All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC) has written to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Uddhav Thackeray to enable jewellers to operate on the festive days in the month of April and the upcoming wedding season in spite of the lockdown.
There are quite a few auspicious occasions such as Gudi Padwa (New Year for Maharashtrians) and other summer time harvest festivals such as Ugadi, Chaitra Navratri, Jhulelal Jayanti on April 13, 2021 Mesha Sankranti, Solar New Year, Puthandu, Vishu Kani, Masik Karthigai, Ambedkar Jayanti and Baisakhi on April 14, 2021 and Gauri Puja, Gangaur, and Pohela Boishakha on April 15, 2021 amongst other individuals.
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GJC, which represents more than 6,00,000 players connected to the sector, has also requested to enable jewellers to operate through the upcoming wedding season in April-June quarter due to quite a few auspicious dates beginning mid-April.
Every year, jewellery company witnesses a spike in sales of roughly about 30 to 40%, the statement mentioned. There is a concern that due to the lockdown and closure of retail outlets, the retailers are unable to finish the orders the buyers had placed for Gudi Padwa and the weddings.
“The new lockdown restrictions ‘Break the Chain’, imposed from 5th April 2021 till 30th April 2021, has the potential to break the backbone of every Jeweller of Maharashtra,” mentioned the statement by the business body.
In a letter to the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Ashish Pethe, Chairman, GJC, stated, “India’s domestic gem & jewellery sector was looking forward to an encouraging scenario in the year 2021….The industry was seeing an upward graph but now with new lockdown restrictions in April, the livelihood of many craftsmen and self-employed jewellers will be affected and their families will suffer. The traditional Make in India indigenous gem and jewellery will not be able to survive one more lockdown as on-ground situation is really bad.”
“Maharashtra and especially Mumbai is a major HUB for thousands of wholesalers & manufacturers. It is also the biggest market for diamond exports and majority of the jewellery across India and globally is supplied from Zaveri Bazaar. Maharashtra also houses lakhs of jewellers and artisans who have migrated from all parts of India. The imposed lockdown will have repercussions on the entire nation and its supply chain,” he added.