The Gem & Jewellery Export Council (GJEPC) will collaborate with American multinational FedEx Corporation to provide doorstep delivery of Surat-made diamonds and jewelry.
A FedEx team stated that the trial initiative will begin in Gujarat and would progressively expand to other parts of the country.
The trial, if successful, will enhance the manufacturer’s buyer base and eliminate layers between a client and a seller in the international market, according to The Indian Express, citing experts.
On Saturday, GJEPC Gujarat Assistant Director Rajant Wani told The Indian Express that GJEPC is merely a facilitator of the entire business. “The operation will be set up in such a way that a piece of jewelry or a loose diamond placed on the e-commerce site by a trader from Surat or any other Gujarat city can be purchased by someone, say, a New York resident, through a business transaction with the seller.” “The seller must be a GJEPC member and must first register with the FedEx portal in order to use the service,” he explained.
A GJEPC Membership certificate will be one of the required documentation for traders to begin doing business with FedEx. “There are over 2,200 registered GJEPC members in Gujarat,” stated Vijay Mangukiya, GJEPC Gujarat Regional Chairman.
“FedEx teams will handle services such as the (door-to-door) operation process from seller to buyer.” “For sending parcels for international clearance, the sender and receiver must submit necessary documents,” FedEx MD Sales Executive Hemant Pimplikar told The Indian Express.
Parcels from Surat or other parts of Gujarat will be collected and delivered within seven days to any area of the United States and other destinations.
Transporting a single parcel worth up to USD 800 will cost between Rs 2,000 and Rs 2,500, depending on weight. The FedEx staff will give the seller the login and password to the web portal, allowing him or her to track the journey of the piece of jewelry.
“The buyer and seller would come to an agreement on transportation costs.” Once the parcel inquiry is scheduled, FedEx team members will collect the parcel from the seller’s doorstep in Surat and load it into the cargo. The parcel will arrive in the target country, where a FedEx team member will retrieve it and deliver it to the buyer’s door,” Wani explained.
The decision to collaborate with FedEx was made at a webinar held Friday in Surat by the GJEPC Gujarat Regional Office with over 200 diamond and jewelry businessmen and retailers from throughout the state to understand the obstacles and the path forward to improve exports.
During the webinar, GJEPC Gujarat Regional Chairman Vijay Mangukiya presented delegates about FedEx services. He also informed members that GJEPC is committed to assisting each individual company in meeting their export goals and cultivating new export opportunities.
India exports gems and jewelry to the United States, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Israel, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, and other nations. Following the Russia-Ukraine war last year, the US placed restrictions on the Alrosa mines, reducing imports of rough diamonds from this significant source.