European Jewelers Use Mega CFC for Quality Testing - CEO

Mumbai, Jun 29 (PTI) The services of a modern common facility centre developed at a special economic zone (SEZ) here are now being used by European jewellers for quality testing, an industry official said.

The Bharat Ratnam Mega CFC (Common Facility Centre) at the SEEPZ (Santacruz Electronic Export Processing Zone) SEZ in Mumbai was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January. The centre has been operational since March 15.

Ravi Menon, CEO, Mega CFC, said that the CFC has state-of-the-art machines and technologies and it is helping improve the output in terms of quality, productivity and yield of the finished jewellery and further boosting gem and jewellery exports.

"Besides Indian players using this facility, now European jewellers have also started using the services of the CFC for quality testing," Menon said.

He said that a team of senior officials of certain European jewllery firms has visited the centre earlier this month.

Their lab managers have also visited the CFC, Menon added.

SEEPZ accounts for 10.26 per cent of total gem and jewellery exports from India and 85 per cent of studded jewellery exports.

Colin Shah, Head - Working Group, Bharat Ratnam Mega CFC said that the centre houses modern equipment, including Asia's first 3D metal printer, and smaller units can use these machines at a nominal fee which helps simplify manufacturing and boost productivity.

He said that the centre, set up at a cost of Rs 93 crore, also provides training to jewllery makers besides having a software centre and a tool room.

Shah also said that a proper system is there to protect designs of jewellers.

He said: "We are not here to make profits. This will help to create more jobs in MSMEs and it helps to make world standard products and not affected jobs.