Mumbai: The keen interest shown by the exhibitors and trade visitors in the India International Jewellery Show (IIJS Virtual) is a testament of the entrepreneurial zeal of the Indian industry to march on in the face of adversity. By taking a virtual leap, IIJS has become a digital safe space where business can be conducted free of any physical harm, while still availing digital features and services that make an earnest attempt to bridge the gap between the real and virtual.
Gems2Jewellery (G2J) publishes here feedbacks of some of the exhibitors on the new format of the Virtual IIJS:
Mr. Saurabh Gadgil (PNG Jewellers) says, “The virtual format, in terms of the entire experience has been very smooth, very customer friendly and during the times of the Covid Pandemic, it has been a very convenient mechanism for people to participate in such a big fair while being in the comfort of their offices/homes. It has been arranged really well and the tradition of IIJS which has been held every year has been able to continue without any disruptions. The virtual show has also allowed people from small towns and remote areas to view jewellery on display, see new trends and prepare themselves for the festive season.”
“One would measure the response of the Physical IIJS by way of mapping footfalls, people coming from all over the world. I do not know the exact number of people who are attending. However, in terms of exhibitors/manufacturers participating, I am told whatever the expectations, they have been exceeded. In terms of innovation as well, the tradition of IIJS to bring something new every year has been upheld this year as well. It has been a good success. We are yet to understand the actual magnitude of transactions this year,” he adds.
Speaking about the organisation of the Virtual IIJS, Mr. Gadgil says, “In terms of organisation, the entire fair has been under the able leadership of experienced professionals like Mr. Colin Shah, Mr. Sailesh Sangani and Mr. Sabyasachi. All of them are veteran experienced players in the jewellery industry who understand the pulse of the market as well as its participants really well. They have been able to pull it off really well. Marketing has been fantastic, having reached with the right message in every nook and corner. I feel the participation of foreign buyers should have been encouraged more and the timing could have been 2 weeks prior. Navratri starts in 2-3 days and considering manufacturing limitations, maybe jewellers would not be able to fulfill the requirements of the festive season. A 2 to 3 week window would have been better for manufacturers.”
“Virtual trade shows are going to be the trend in the future. Even after the pandemic i think, it will be a new way of doing business and transacting between each other. We will see more technology evolving on this front. We will see more AR/VR integration in virtual shows. With every year, the bar will continue to be raised as technology will continue to evolve.”
Mr. Mangesh Chauhan, Sky Gold Pvt. Ltd. Says, “I am mighty impressed by the IIJS Virtual format. I was reluctant at first to participate, but now I am an ardent convert of the digital expo. The reasons are very many. Almost 30 new visitors dropped by to window shop at our product gallery during the Visitor Preview, and once we received the list of names through the Council, my team members got in touch with them via emails and WhatsApp messages. Of the 30 visitors, five have already confirmed small jewellery orders totalling from 200 gm to 500 gm per lot. Most of these buyers are from tier III or IV towns.
We deal in plain gold jewellery and studded jewellery with cubic zirconia. Normally, we deal with big retail chains and during the physical show, and at times, are so busy catering to our regular clients, that we are unable to give attention to the new walkins. The virtual show has helped us to connect with small and medium-size buyer companies as well, and that is a good thing.
New buyers have faith in exhibitors participating in IIJS because it is a brand in itself. Also, since the ‘touch and feel’ factor in buying jewellery is missing in virtual shows, newcomers are booking smaller orders to test the waters. At our end, we also have allowed them freedom to return the goods, in case they are not satisfied. Payments are already happening through bank transfers, and we have no reason to worry.
A big plus of virtual shows is that the overheads are considerably less and we don’t have any limitations in exhibiting our products on the gallery. At shows, we limit brining our inventory, but if we realise the customer is serious, we can digitally show him more products. I hope that such shows are held every quarter, to drive business.”
Mr. Kishore Sharma of Kishore Motiwala says, “Even before the start of the show, we got 80 visitors during the IIJS Virtual Preview, and of those 50% were new clients. we provide 1,000 variety of pearls. South Sea pearls, especially peacock black colour, and Akoya and Keshi are popular.
Freshwater pearls are in great demand – ranging from 0.5mm to 15mm in all shapes and colours. Basra pearls, which are circulating in the market, since no new production has taken place since the last 80 years, are gaining traction. We have a chain of traders who are into buying old jewellery from customers. We buy Basra from them and the cost – depending on the damaged ones to those in perfect condition – can range from Rs.500 to Rs.5,000 per gram. These are incomparable gems and are priceless.
We have been regularly exhibiting at IIJS since the last seven years, and we are happy to participate in the Virtual show. At physical shows, we get limited time to interact with all our visitors. In the virtual format, we approach all those who browsed through our digital gallery. This way we are getting an opportunity to establish new contacts. I am only seeing huge possibilities of growth through this format in the future.”
