Press Release: The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) recognizes that its graduates – who number more than 70,000 active members worldwide – are a vital component in the Institute’s efforts to increase gemological education and set professional standards for the entire gem and jewelry industry.

GIA India has launched a “Business Excellence Series” for its alumni to help achieve that goal. GIA President and CEO Donna Baker, with Managing Director (India and the Middle East) Nirupa Bhatt, made the announcement about the new program recently to more than 70 alumni who attended a recent special forum at the GIA India Laboratory.

The new Business Excellence Series will host discussions and seminars focused on providing opportunities to the alumni to network and communicate. This will help create an environment where GIA India Alumni can learn and share their experiences so they can take their careers and businesses to the next level, and encourage even greater growth in the industry.

By staying abreast of cutting-edge information and communicating it to others in the industry, GIA Alumni can help enhance consumer confidence.

“The best way to inform and educate the diamond and jewelry industry is to ensure that more of GIA’s extensive research, education and other resources are shared,” Baker said. “The Business Excellence Series forges new ways the Institute, alumni and the trade can work together to benefit everyone, including the general public.”

There are more than 2,000 GIA graduates in India – with more than 50% in Mumbai – the majority of which are from the gem and jewelry industry, according to Manoj Singhania, director of GIA India Education. “The Mumbai alumni chapter is very active and over the past year it has launched several initiatives to make the Mumbai alumni network even more vibrant and meaningful. We are also making concentrated efforts to energize other GIA Alumni chapters in India, such as those in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Delhi and Jaipur.”

“We believe creating an environment for ongoing learning and sharing will lead to individual professional development, networking opportunities and solid diamond and jewelry industry growth,” Singhania said.