by Sachin Murdeshwar
Kolhapur : All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council (GJC), the apex domestic council of the gems & jewellery industry, conducted the 60th“Labham” educational programme for jewellers in Kolhapur on Saturday, February 29, 2020. Labham, an educational seminar on compliance, taxation, credit & best business practices organized by GJC, 
To grace this occasion the Guest of Honor was Mr. Satej Patil- Maharashtra Cabinet Minister along with MLA Mr. Chandrakant Jadhav (Kolhapur-South), Mr. Ruturaj Patil (Kolhapur–North) was part of the Labham programme. All of them shared their valuable inputs on Hallmarking and were part of the discussions. Mr. Sanjay Shetye, President – Kolhapur Chamber of Commerce was also part of the special invitee to share the dice during Labham.
Some of the most renowned and distinguished jewellers of India – many of them are senior functionaries of the GJC – attended GJC’s Labham programme in Kolhapur: Mr. Manoj Kumar Jha & Mr. Sanjay Agrawal (Co-Convener-Labham), Mr. Ashish Pethe (Zonal Chairman, GJC), Mr. Bharat Oswal (ZCM, GJC) and amongst others. Labham Kolhapur is powered by GIA and NSE is the Commodity Exchange Partner. The programme had lively interactions between tax consultants and jewellers. Mr. Ashish Pethe (GJC Zonal Chairman, West) along with Mr. Bhavin Mehta gave an important presentation on Hallmarking. The motivational speaker for the event, who inspired the jewellers, was Mr. Sanjay Vilayat.
Labham is being organized with the object of edifying the participants in detail about various matters related to compliances and regularities including Income Tax, GST and Hallmarking. The organizer has also added some of the burning issues like finance, sales, etc., in the seminar to encourage the jewellers to rise above the shackles of current down turn. The Labham Programme was initiated by GJCto impart education to the industry on compliances and best practices. The Programme under the leadership of its Convener and Co-Conveners has organized Labham on a pan India level.
Anantha Padmanaban, Chairman, GJC,said, “Jewellery making is one of the oldest crafts and it is part and parcel of Indian heritage and culture. Kolhapur is one of the original Make in India for the world when it comes to several products including Kolhapuri chappals. Indian handcrafted jewellery is also coveted across the world and it is apt that GJC comes to Kolhapur to enhance the business orientataion of local jewellers. We are happy that the diamond jubilee of Labham – the 60th edition – was held in Kolhapur. Today India stands as a global leader in jewellery manufacturing and contributes to over 15% of the GDP. The millions of work force needs to be trained and updated about the latest tax structures which includes GST, various government policies, trade practices, corporate governance etc.”
Shaankar Sen, Vice Chairman, GJC and Convener of Labham, said, “The Labham programme conducted by GJC in different parts of the country has been immensely successful and beneficial for the local jewelers as it has helped the jewellers to overcome the teething issues of running their business as per the new norms and compliance process of the Government. The programme was truly a knowledge sharing experience for the participants since the speakers were top legal experts, bankers and Jewellers of the country.”
Mr. Manoj Kumar Jha, Co-Convener-Labham, GJC, added, “In a disruptive business environment, education, training and development can help you grow your business in tier 2-3 cities despite challenges. Most jewellers are not aware about best-in-class practices and new-age skills to run their business and they need to get updated constantly. Labham programme by GJC helps them to empower and use simple tools to grow their business in a profitable manner.”
Mr. Sanjay Agrawal, Co-Convener-Labham, said, “Being the nodal agency of Gems and Jewellery Industry, GJC has been organizing Labham programmes across the country and so far it has organized the seminar in more than 48 cities. The one day event has so far received overwhelming response from across the country where thousands of jewellers attended this seminar. In a very short span of time, Labham has become one of the most sought after programme for the industry as it covers various topics that matters the most to the jewellery business.”
GJC designed this programme for the benefits of the jewelers whereby the jewellers understand the technicality of various compliance procedures. Labham also help in easing many complex practices of doing business. This day-long educational programme at various jewellery clusters of the country would empower the business community to manage their jewellery businesses more effectively in respect of improved governance and ease of operations.
The participants also received a complimentary Labham book in English. The book explains the essential elements of conducting business & regulatory framework for reference.