Gems and jewellery exports declined 5.32 per cent to USD 30.96 billion in 2018-19, mainly on account of slowdown in demand in major developed markets. According to data from the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), exports stood at USD 32.7 billion in 2017-18. The labour-intensive sector contributes about 15 per cent to the country’s overall exports.
The decline in shipments is mainly due to negative growth in the export of silver jewellery, coloured gem stones, rough diamonds, gold medallions and coins.
