Indian Jewellery Industry Faces Shortage of Young Artisans Amid Calls for Education-Skill Integration

The Indian jewellery industry is facing a shortage of young artisans as fewer people are choosing jewellery craftsmanship as a career. According to Vinod Bamalwa, Director of Nemichand Bamalwa & Sons and Chairman of the National Expert Committee on Jewellery and Lifestyle at the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), one of the key reasons for this trend is the lack of formal recognition of jewellery-making as a structured vocational education pathway.

Bamalwa emphasized that integrating technical skills with degree and certification programmes could help elevate the profession's status and attract more talent to the sector. He noted that efforts are underway to introduce jewellery manufacturing and related technical subjects to students at the school level, with industry participation playing a key role in designing and supporting such programmes.

Gold prices rebounded on Wednesday after falling to a two-month low, while silver remained unchanged for the second consecutive session in the national capital. According to local traders, 99.9% pure gold rose ₹700 to ₹1,49,300 per 10 grams, including taxes, from Tuesday's closing price of ₹1,48,600 per 10 grams.

Industry leaders believe that combining education with practical skill development is essential if the jewellery sector is to evolve into a more organised and professionally managed industry. They suggest that introducing subjects such as metallurgy, marketing, sales techniques, and product management at school and college levels could open up employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for young people.