core sector communique

Gitanjali Presents Exciting New Brands and Collections at IIJS

New Brands address emerging consumer needs

Provide Excellent Business Opportunities to the Trade

Mumbai: August 20^th, 2012 - The Gitanjali Group will unveil a number of sparkling new brands and collections at the grand India International Jewellery Show (IIJS) which was held in Mumbai from August 23-27, 2012.

Each of the new offerings is targeted at a niche consumer segment that has not been addressed till now and will be of immense benefit to partnering retailers in meeting the emerging demands of consumers in their regions.

Some of the new brands being unveiled in India for the first time are Envi, Moira, True Platinum and Karina each of which addresses the jewellery needs of different segments of society. Envi by Gitanjali & Gemfields is a fascinating collection of mesmerizing emerald jewellery that is truly every woman’s fantasy. Moira combines the allure of lustrous freshwater pearls with the dazzle of natural diamonds to conjure up some amazing adornments for the modern fashionista. Karina is a delicate mix of precious rubies and exquisite diamonds placed intrinsically, to give ‘fabulous’ a whole new meaning. The collection also includes enticing emerald and diamond jewellery. True Platinum is a diamond studded range with collections that include Work Wear, Love Bands, Wedding Collection, Platinum bars & coins.

New collections are also being unveiled from Nizam, G Divas, and other brands as well as in the non-branded segment.  G Divas is a stunning and sparkling range of light weight jewellery studded with diamonds, pearls and coloured stones. There are many new ranges in the non-branded segment that are crafted with perfection using 100% BIS Hallmarked gold and offer a range from traditional ornaments and designs that are suited to special occasions and festivals to sleek, contemporary pieces with light and airy patterns and designs that are designed for daily wear.

The new collections and brands are expected to become best sellers during the two major selling seasons – the October-December festival-wedding season in India, and the November-December festive Christmas season in US and other international markets.

Speaking about the show, Mr. Mehul Choksi, CMD, Gitanjali Group, said,” The branded jewellery business in India is enjoying a compounding growth due to a shift from the unorganised sector. With multiple brands and the launch of promising collections, we would address diverse consumer needs.” Further, Mr. Choksi added, “The upcoming season starting with IIJS extending up to Diwali in India followed by Christmas and Valentines in international markets towards the end of the year, are expected to drive the growth for the group.”

About Gitanjali Group

Gitanjali Group is one of the world’s largest integrated jewellery sector players with interests in the diamond jewellery, retail and lifestyle businesses.

It is strategically integrated across the value chain with a strong presence at every level of the business, right from sourcing diamonds to retailing its products through a vast network of over 4000 points of sale. It has a successful track record in international branding and marketing campaigns, innovations and developing modern retail outlets that serve the end consumer.

The Group is the pioneer of branded jewellery in India. Its several well- established brands are positioned strategically to tap the rapidly growing branded jewellery market in India as well as the international market. The Group’s portfolio of brands include ‘Nakshatra’, ‘Gili’, ‘Asmi’, ‘Sangini’ and ‘D’Damas’ to name a few.

Manufacturing

The Group has 3 world-class diamond polishing facilities in India located at Surat, Mumbai and Hyderabad and 8 state-of-the-art jewellery manufacturing facilities in India and overseas. Domestic jewellery manufacturing facilities are located at Mumbai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, Kolkata, Surat and Jaipur, while the international manufacturing set up is in Bangkok and China. The Group’s International design centre is in Italy.

Retailing and Distribution

The Group has achieved a multi-channel retailing and distribution network across the country. Channels of distribution include Shop-in-shops in departmental stores, distribution through other retailers, franchisees and own stores (of exclusive as well as multi-brands), e-commerce and corporate sales. The multi-channel strategy gives flexibility to reach out to consumers in the hinterlands of the country and be format-ready for different types of locations. The franchisee channel has enabled the Group penetrate towns such as Hospet, Satna, Angul,  etc. With these concepts, the Group has converted many of its key product brands into retail brands e.g. Nakshatra, Gili, D’damas, Asmi and Diya are EBOs. Multi-brand outlets such as Maya Jewels, Jewel Souk and Gitanjali Jewels are made available in different sizes of investments to suit franchisee requirements. Besides, the Group also caters to lifestyle categories through its watch stores of BEZEL and through Maya Lifestyle which is a department store concept.

International Business

Besides operations in India, the Group has a strong presence in leading jewellery markets of the world. It has the retail chain of Samuels & Rogers in USA with 110 stores, and its product brands such as Passion Stone, Tacori, Encore, etc. are distributed pan USA.

In the Middle East, it has four stores in Dubai and over 50 distribution points through leading retail chains of GCC countries.

In the third largest market of jewellery, China, the Group has distribution to a chain of 40 stores and a manufacturing facility for local as well as international supply.

In the sizeable market of Japan, the Group has a significant stake in a jewellery selling TV channel called Gems TV, as well as a strong distribution network supplying to other leading retail chains of Japan.

In the design capital of the world, Italy, the Group owns leading brands such as Stefan Hafner, Io Si, Nouvelle Bague, Porrati and Valente. The Italian brands and designs are available to penetrate markets such as Russia, Saudi Arabia, China and the Far-east.

Through its recent acquisition, the Group also has a well established distribution chain in the UK supplying its jewellery to leading retail chains in Britain.