Senior leadership from the World Gold Council’s London head office visited the Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery (IIGJ), Mumbai, on 21 April 2026, with a clear focus on advancing gold jewellery innovation through design, technology and new product concepts. The visit explored collaboration on talent development alongside innovation-led initiatives, with the delegation also interacting with students exhibiting their final-year ‘Glimpz’ projects.
The WGC delegation included Nigel Ruth, COO, and Terry Heymann, Chief Strategy Officer, along with Sachin Jain, Regional CEO, India; Rakhi Khanna, Global Head of Corporate Communications; and Arti Saxena, Director and Head of Marketing, India. They were received by Milan Chokshi, Chairman, IIGJ; Debasish Biswas, CEO, IIGJ; and Dolly Choudhary, Director – Promotions, Marketing & Business Development, GJEPC.
In his opening remarks, Ruth said, “Our focus is on keeping jewellery relevant for younger consumers, and there is no better place to understand that than India. We are here to listen and to learn.”
Echoing this sentiment, Heymann noted, “It is always exciting to be back in India. The future of this sector lies with the youth, and India can show the way. We are keen to understand your work more deeply and engage with it meaningfully.”
Sachin Jain said, “I was genuinely blown away by the creativity of the students, not just the products they created, but the confidence and conviction with which they presented their ideas. That level of belief comes from strong training and discipline. As a team, we felt it was important for us to be part of this journey, to understand what you are building here and explore how we can support it in a meaningful, long-term way.”
Milan Chokshi added, “India has immense potential in every sense. This is where you can truly influence and shape the future of the jewellery industry. As the industry undergoes structural change in design, retail and consumer behaviour, institutes like ours must drive that reset. The opportunity lies in harnessing this talent, channelling its enthusiasm, and creating meaningful impact.”
Discussions focused on integrating gold into curricula, design hackathons, artisan upskilling, and building global-facing jewellery narratives. GJEPC highlighted opportunities to scale Indian craftsmanship globally through platforms like The Artisan Awards and innovation-led initiatives.
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