By Anil Sharma
Jaipur, April 14 (IANS): The almost 250-year-old gems and jewellery industry in Rajasthan may lose some of its shine if the critical shortage of skilled manpower continues.
The industry in Jaipur, the largest in the country, annually records exports of Rs.2,200-2,400 crore ($352-284 million). The number of skilled workers, though, has fallen drastically to between 125,000 and 150,000 now from around 250,000 to 300,000 a few years ago, industry stakeholders say.
"It all started when the industry was passing through a recession, especially between 2009 and 2010. Some of the manpower had to be laid off as the industry was not getting the required orders. However, after recovery, these workers have not come back as they have been absorbed by other industries," Jitendra Singh Hada, a local jeweller, told IANS.
Echoing this, Pramod Shah, another jeweller, said: "It is really becoming a headache to find skilled manpower. It really is affecting our business."
The institutes engaged in training manpower say that the gems and jewellery industry here is traditional and family operated. "With the growth in the economy, these youths now have various career options so they do not want to enter into a traditional business where they think their career growth is limited," Ikram, a father of three and a skilled worker in a gemstone unit, told IANS.
"On an average, a skilled worker like me makes Rs 12,000-15,000 per month which is not much for me to make my ends meet. So obviously, I am encouraging my children to join other streams that pay more," he added.
To counter the shortage, the Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery (IIGJJ) here signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Rajasthan Skill and Livelihoods Development Corporation (RSLDC) to promote skill development and entrepreneurship across the state.
The IIGJ, a pioneer in the gems and jewellery sector with a strong focus on design, technology and management, has been promoted by the Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council. The RSLDC is a Rajasthan government enterprise.
"The programme, to be known as Employment Linked Skill Training Programme (ELSTP) has a target of providing skills to over 3,600 trainees in 2015-16 (that began April 1)," IIGJJ honorary secretary Vijay Chordia told IANS.
Jaipur has for centuries been known for its fine gem-cutting and polishing and jewellery craftsmanship. Owing to this special emphasis, from as early as the 18th century, the city gained fame for its gems industry, being an important manufacturer of precious and semi-precious stones.
Today, Jaipur is not only the main centre in India for processing coloured gems but also a global centre as most of the world's supply of cut and polished emeralds flows from here.