Indian missions push gems, jewellery and textiles at global exhibitions

MEA-led trade push takes Indian gems, jewellery and textiles to new markets with Jeddah hosting SAJEX 2025, as states and exporters seek opportunities amid US tariff pressure

Over the next three days, beginning Thursday, Jeddah’s Superdome — touted to be the world’s largest freestanding dome — will host an exhibition featuring Indian gems and jewellery.

 

The Saudi Arabia Jewellery Exposition (SAJEX) 2025, to be held from September 11 to 13, is part of the Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) effort to have Indian missions and posts support exporters in accessing new markets, amid the stiff tariffs imposed on Indian goods by the White House.

 

Apart from gems and jewellery, India’s missions in South America, West Asia, Japan and Southeast Asia have been tasked with promoting textiles, leather goods and marine products. A similar exhibition for gems and jewellery is also planned in the United Arab Emirates in the coming months.

 

Indian states have mounted a strong presence at the ongoing World Expo in Osaka, Japan, which will conclude on October 13. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai visited the exhibition at the end of August as his state seeks to promote silk exports and handicrafts. In mid-July, India’s embassy in Tokyo organised the 16th India Trend Fair along with the Union Textile Ministry.

 

Indian diplomats in South American countries have, in recent weeks, reached out to provincial governments to deepen trade ties. On Tuesday, India’s Ambassador to Brazil, Dinesh Bhatia, met Sebastian de Oliveira Campos, head of the Brazilian state of Para, to discuss enhanced cooperation.

 

According to MEA officials, the exhibition in Jeddah is being organised in collaboration with the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India (GJEPC) of the Commerce Ministry. It is a business-to-business event — the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia — with over 200 exhibitors and more than 2,000 international buyers. It is supported by Invest Saudi.

 

“Saudi Arabia, with a gross domestic product of $1.1 trillion, has booming retail, luxury and tourism sectors. Its citizens have high purchasing power, with millennials driving demand for both traditional and modern jewellery,” an Indian official said. Saudi Arabia’s diamond and gold jewellery market is projected to grow from $4.56 billion in 2024 to $8.34 billion by 2030.

 

Officials said the significance of the event lies in Saudi Arabia’s dual role as a major importer and re-export hub for gems and jewellery. India exports $30 billion worth of gems and jewellery annually, with the US and UAE as its largest markets. The US alone accounts for nearly 30 per cent of India’s total gems and jewellery exports.

 

In a recent interaction with Business Standard, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said his government had asked sectors set to be impacted by US tariffs, including gems and jewellery, to submit concrete proposals outlining the kind of assistance required from the government.