National News
GJEPC announces Kirit Bhansali as Chairman, Shaunak Parikh as Vice Chairman and new Committee of Administration
Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), the country’s apex nodal trade body, announced the appointment of Kirit Bhansali as Chairman; Shaunak Parikh as Vice Chairman and announced the constitution of new Committee of Administration (COA) after the completion of the COA Election 2024.
Kirit Bhansali, Chairman, GJEPC, said, “Our vision is to drive transformative growth for India’s gem and jewellery industry through strategic initiatives, innovative projects, and collaborative efforts. From advancing flagship projects like the India Jewellery Park in Mumbai and the Gem Bourse in Jaipur to expanding our global footprint with initiatives like Saudijex in Saudi Arabia and IJEX Dubai, we aim to position India as a global leader in technology, design, and manufacturing. Together, we will strive to achieve the ambitious export target of USD 100 billion by 2047, aligning with our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of a Viksit Bharat.”
Bhansali further added, “We aim to sustain India’s global leadership, capitalize on domestic market potential, and advocate for favorable policies while continuing to support our artisans. To boost exports from the sector and support India’s economic growth, GJEPC has identified 17 key clusters based on their size, potential, and strategic location. By nurturing these clusters, we aim to develop them into thriving export hubs.”
Shaunak Parikh, Vice Chairman, GJEPC, said, “I sincerely thank all the industry members for entrusting me with this responsibility and giving me the opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of our remarkable gem and jewellery sector. This is a crucial time for the industry, and the challenges before us demand bold vision and decisive action. It is imperative to focus on category promotion across all verticals, infrastructure development, skill enhancement, and adopting global standards to ensure our industry remains competitive on the world stage. The Council will continue to collaborate closely with the government to shape policies that not only drive growth but also address the pressing concerns of our exporters in an ever-evolving global market.”
List of CoA Member(s) 2024
| Sr. No | Name of the Directors | Designation |
| 1 | Kirit Bhansali | Chairperson |
| 2 | Shaunak Parikh | Vice-Chairperson |
| 3 | Smt. Khushboo Ranawat | Regional Chairperson – Western Region |
| 4 | Pankaj Parekh | Regional Chairperson – Eastern Region |
| 5 | Antar Pal Singh | Regional Chairperson – Northern Region |
| 6 | Jayantibhai N. Savaliya | Regional Chairperson – Gujarat Region |
| 7 | Mahendra Kumar Tayal | Regional Chairperson – Southern Region |
| 8 | Ajesh Mehta | CoA Member |
| 9 | Nirav Bhansali | CoA Member |
| 10 | Nilesh Kothari | CoA Member |
| 11 | Anil Virani | CoA Member |
| 12 | Pankaj Shah | CoA Member |
| 13 | Anil Sankhwal | CoA Member |
| 14 | Smit Patel | CoA Member |
| 15 | Krishna Behari Goyal | CoA Member |
| 16 | Manish Jiwani | CoA Member |
| 17 | Anoop Mehta | CoA Member |
| 18 | Ashish Borda | CoA Member |
| 19 | Dwarka Prasad Khandelwal | CoA Member |
| 20 | K. Srinivasan | CoA Member |
| 21 | Mansukhlal Kothari | CoA Member |
| Govt. Nominee | ||
| 1 | Shri Siddharth Mahajan – Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India | Govt. Nominee Director |
Profiles of Chairman and Vice Chairman
Kirit A. Bhansali, Chairman, GJPEC
Kirit A. Bhansali, is a well-known personality in the Indian diamond and jewellery industry. He is a partner in Smital Gems, a leading diamond manufacturing company based in Mumbai. With his extensive experience in the field, he has played a significant role in promoting and developing the Indian gem and jewellery industry. He is the Chairman of India Jewellery Park Mumbai (IJPM) and is a Committee Member of the Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB). In the past he has also served as the chairman of the Indian Institute of Gems and Jewellery (IIGJ). Apart from his business activities, Bhansali is actively involved in various socio-political and educational initiatives. Through his leadership and vision, Bhansali has contributed significantly to the growth and development of the Indian diamond and jewellery industry.
Shaunak Jitendra Parikh, Vice Chairman, GJEPC
Shaunak Jitendra Parikh is 3rd generation entrepreneur and is one of the Directors of Mahendra Brothers Group of Companies who are into business of the manufacturing and marketing of diamonds and diamond jewellery. Parikh holds a degree of Bachelors of Commerce from University of Mumbai and has more than 30 years of experience in the industry. After successfully establishing manufacturing and marketing of diamond jewellery for over a decade, Parikh took charge of Group’s finances about 15 years back. He simultaneously completed an executive diploma in corporate finance from London Business School. A people’s man, and with a flair for creativity, he plays a vital role in running company’s overall business, group strategic planning & decision making, managing group finances and new business opportunities. Shaunak Parikh has previously held several key positions in GJEPC, including serving as the Convener of the Banking, Insurance, and Taxation Committee, as well as the Convener of International Exhibitions.
National News
Augmont-NSE Partnership Drives Strong Start for India’s Gold EGR Market, with Over 1,60,357 Units Traded in First Few Hours
Electronic Gold Receipts segment witnesses active two-way trading on day one, with 1,60,375 units traded, representing approximately 6 kg of gold and a traded value of ₹23.34 crore as of 04:25 PM
India’s gold market took an important step towards greater integration with the commencement of live trading in the Electronic Gold Receipts (EGR) segment on the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) today. Enabled through the collaboration between NSE and Augmont Enterprises Limited, the launch brings together NSE’s regulated exchange infrastructure and Augmont’s integrated physical gold ecosystem, creating a new avenue for investors to trade physically backed gold.
On its opening day, the EGR segment witnessed active two-way trading, with 1,60,357 units traded by approximately 04:25 PM, representing around 6 kg of gold. The trading activity translated into a cumulative traded value of approximately Rs.23.34 crore during the first session. The segment also demonstrated orderly price discovery, with prices remaining within a narrow intraday range of Rs.1,450.50 to Rs.1,460.00. The bid-ask spread remained between Rs.0.50 and Rs.1.00, indicating continuous two-way quotations and an active order book.
Each EGR represents 100 mg of physical gold, with the underlying gold held in SEBI-regulated vaults. Investors can buy and sell EGRs through their demat accounts on the exchange, while retaining the option of converting their holdings into physical gold, subject to the applicable framework. The segment follows a T+1 settlement cycle, under which trades executed on a particular day are settled on the next business day, facilitating the transfer of securities and funds through the exchange’s regulated clearing and settlement mechanism.
Under the strategic collaboration, Augmont serves as a key physical gold and infrastructure partner for NSE’s EGR segment, supporting the creation, vaulting, redemption and liquidity ecosystem. The gold backing the EGRs is sourced through Augmont’s integrated refining infrastructure, bringing together physical gold processing and exchange-based trading within a regulated framework.
The commencement of live trading marks an important step towards building a more transparent and accessible gold market in India. By enabling standardised gold to be traded through an exchange-based mechanism, EGRs have the potential to strengthen price discovery, improve market participation and create a more integrated ecosystem for physical gold.
Ketan Kothari, Whole-time Director, Augmont Enterprises Limited, said:

“The commencement of EGR trading marks the transition of our collaboration with NSE from building the underlying infrastructure to enabling a live, exchange-traded gold market. The day-one trading activity, continuous two-way quotations and orderly price discovery are important initial milestones for a new market segment.
At Augmont, we have brought together our refining capabilities and physical gold infrastructure to support the creation, vaulting and redemption of EGRs. We believe this initiative can play an important role in making physical gold more accessible, transparent and integrated with India’s formal financial ecosystem. Our focus remains on strengthening the ecosystem and supporting its wider adoption among investors, brokers and other market participants.“
-
JB Insights4 days agoDhanteras Gold Business Across India Estimated at Approximately ₹60,000 Crore – A Promising Start for the Jewellery Industry: GJC
-
BrandBuzz4 days agoGauri Khan in ZOYA High Jewellery Collection Her Again
-
National News4 days agoAugmont-NSE Partnership Drives Strong Start for India’s Gold EGR Market, with Over 1,60,357 Units Traded in First Few Hours
-
BrandBuzz4 days agoDP Jewellers Emerges As The First Choice Of Millions Of Customers On The Auspicious Occasion Of Dhanteras

