World Gold Council to host b2b expo in Chennai

Chennai: India's first and only business-to-business gold jewellery business exhibition, Gold Jewellery India International Exhibition 2005 (GJIIE), will be held at the Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai. The two-day event will be organised by World Gold Council (WGC) and Madras Jewellers & Diamond Merchants Association from May 22 to 25 2005.

According to WGC vice president K Shivram, the trade fair will provide an opportunity to businesses in gold jewellery, equipment, packaging and accessories in India and abroad to interact and transact business with the manufacturers of jewellery, machinery and importers, exporters, wholesalers, retailers and others.

Around 150 jewellery exhibitors from India and overseas are expected to display their products.

Visitors to the event will also be available to attend seminars and design forums on the latest developments in the gold and gold jewellery from around the world, where leading experts from India and overseas will share their experience and expertise.

According to Uday Kumar Vummidi, chairman, GJIIE 2005 Organising Committee, over 600 tons of gold is consumed in India annually. "South India is the largest and biggest market for gold and gold jewellery in Indial accounting for 45 per cent of the country's demand and Chennai is India's largest gold jewellery retail market with around 4,000 retail outlets."