Sponsored by the Gemological Institute of America
India’s GJEPC Appoints New Chairman
Colin Shah is the new head of the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council, taking over for Pramod Agrawal, whose term has expired.

Mumbai—The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council, the governmental body that supports the diamond and jewelry trade in India, announced this week it has new leadership.
On Tuesday, GJPEC Vice Chairman Colin Shah succeeded Pramod Kumar Agrawal as chairman, and council members unanimously elected Vipul Shah as vice chairman.
Both men will serve two-year terms.
Colin is the managing director of Kama Schachter Jewelry Pvt. Ltd., which ranks among the top 10 diamond jewelry manufacturers in Asia.
He is active with the GJPEC, the SEEPZ Gem and Jewelry Manufacturers Association, the Young President Organization and the Entrepreneurs Organization.
The company is RJC certified and BPP compliant, and is one of the only diamond manufacturers at which women make up 50 percent of the workforce.
Vipul, meanwhile, is the CEO and managing director of Asian Star Co. Ltd., one of the country’s largest diamond companies. He previously served as GJEPC chairman, from October 2012 to September 2015.
Both Colin and Vipul noted their terms begin at a challenging, uncertain time due to COVID-19, which has dampened consumer demand for diamonds worldwide and hobbled the world’s major trading hubs.
In India, polished diamond exports were down 80 percent year-over-year in April and May.
Colin said policies that make doing business easier, the availability of bank financing—a major issue right now for the midstream sector of the diamond pipeline—and leveraging e-commerce for trade and business are among the priorities for the GJEPC right now.
“The new term at GJEPC starts amid acute uncertainties due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis in India and the world over. It demands a paradigm shift for the industry,” he said.
“The council is focusing towards recalibrating itself by digitalization across verticals, exploring new ways of reaching customers and unconventional ways of creating demand for gems and jewelry.”
Others elected to serve the GJPEC for the 2020-2022 terms were as follows:
Ashok Gajera (regional chairman-west);
Prakash Pincha (regional chairman-east),
Nirmal Bardiya (regional chairman-Rajasthan);
Dinesh Navadiya (regional chairman-Gujarat);
Mahender Tayal (regional chairman-south); and
Ashok Seth (regional chairman-north).
Sanjay Shah, Dilip Shah, Milan Chokshi, Russell Mehta, Sanju Kothari, Chirag Lakhi, Anil Virani and Manish Jiwani were appointed to the Diamond Panel, while Shailesh Sangani, K. Srinivasan, Mansukh Kothari and Suvankar Sen will serve on the Gold Jewelry & Other Precious Metals Jewelry Panel.
Mahendra Agarwal and Vijay Kedia were appointed to the Colored Gemstones & Pearls Panel while Ram Babu Gupta will serve on the Silver Panel and
The Latest

The 2025 Australian Open champion is the jewelry brand’s first athlete ambassador.

The West Village jewelry boutique’s new shop-in-shop is the cornerstone of Nordstrom’s revamped jewelry hall.

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

The brand’s “Golden Strada” statement necklace features round, marquise, and pear diamonds that sparkle like Fourth of July fireworks.


JSA’s Scott Guginsky provided a list of nine security measures jewelers should observe while locking up for the long weekend.

Located on Rodeo Drive, the store’s design was inspired by Hollywood and Los Angeles culture.

The countdown is on for the JCK Las Vegas Show and JA is pulling out all the stops.

The new location continues the brand’s celebration of its 25th anniversary.

The online watch marketplace’s “Time Is Our Thing” campaign highlights the importance of time.

Working with Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit and law enforcement, Pandora helped to shut down a large-scale counterfeit network in China.

The jewelry company has closed its three California brick-and-mortar stores, as well as its online shop, for now.

The company is providing the opportunity for an FIT student to work alongside master diamond cutter Willie Lopez in its workshop.

He is remembered for his successful entrepreneurship, generosity, and dedication to his family.

The jewelry store chain has reportedly been struggling with costs related to tariffs as well as tough retail competition.

Welcome warm summer days with red hot rubies perfectly chosen as July’s birthstone.

Co-founders Afzal Imram and Lin Ruiyin brought their son’s story of a cosmic egg, toadstool, and railroad to life in their new collection.

The best time to prepare for the holiday season is right now, according to columnist Emmanuel Raheb.

This year’s winner is Morgan Keefe, who is currently studying at GIA to be a gemologist.

“The Jewelry Book” comes out this September.

The company is focused on modernizing the custom jewelry buying experience with e-commerce tools like product visualization and 3D styling.

Following its recent acquisition, the storied brand has updated its leadership team and regional managers.

AGS also named the recipient of its “Women in Leadership” scholarship.

The 20-karat yellow gold and diamond wrap ring is modeled after the Monstera plants in the garden of the brand’s Miami villa.

Rocksbox President Allison Vigil shared the retailer’s expansion plans, and her thoughts on opening stores in malls.

The creator of the WJA Chicago chapter is remembered as a champion for women in the jewelry industry and a loving grandmother.

The decline was consistent across age groups and almost all income groups, with tariffs and inflation still top of mind.