Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates Indian Institute of Gems and Jewellery campus in Udupi

Nirmala Sitharaman inaugurates Indian Institute of Gems and Jewellery campus in Udupi

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, April 28, 2026: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday inaugurated the new premises of the Indian Institute of Gems and Jewellery in Udupi.

Sitharaman had laid the foundation stone for the institute in 2017 during her tenure as Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, utilising her MPLADS funds with support from the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council and National Institute of Design.

The institute aims to provide advanced skill training for existing workers and youth in jewellery design and manufacturing, enabling them to compete globally. It offers training in various aspects of hand-crafted jewellery making, creating employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in the gems and jewellery sector while also enhancing the skills of the current workforce.

The facility is equipped with 41 jewellery manufacturing, CAD, casting, testing and finishing machines, including XRF gold-purity testing systems, CAD software, casting machines, plating units and full production-line facilities. Besides training, the institute will also function as a Common Facility Centre (CFC).

The Indian Institute of Gems and Jewellery is also training candidates under the PM Vishwakarma Scheme. Sitharaman interacted with trainees under the scheme during the event. More than 270 candidates have already been trained at the institute under the programme.

The Finance Minister also witnessed a demonstration of the “Design to Manufacturing” process by students of the institute.

On the occasion, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Indian Institute of Gems and Jewellery and IIT Madras under the InCent LGD platform for a specialised industry-oriented certification programme in lab-grown diamond technologies.

The programme aims to bridge skill gaps, create job-ready professionals, boost value-added manufacturing and strengthen India’s position in the global lab-grown diamond value chain in line with the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Skill India’ initiatives.