New Delhi, September 4:

The capital is to be developed as the largest centre of gems jewellery industry in northern India in a bid to expand the trade in the city to 20 per cent of national volume. The Delhi State Industrial Development Corp (DSIDC) has drawn up an ambitious plan to this effect.

The plan is to develop a special economic zone (SEZ) with ‘front end’ components for sales and marketing and ‘back end’ components for manufacturing units, the DSIDC said. The ‘front end’ components would also include identification, grading and certification of diamonds, a world-class gem and jewellery training institute, a gem testing lab, an assaying and hallmarking center as well as government offices to facilitate trade.

The SEZ will have some unique features because of its location in Delhi: it will be centrally located; it will have all necessary infrastructure and facilities; it will be safe and secure; and it will be easy to interact with the government. A DSIDC spokesman said a National Institute of Jewellery Design and Technology is to come up at Okhla Phase II. It would be launched in October this year. Its courses include a comprehensive three years diploma course in jewellery design and manufacture technology, basic course in jewellery design, advanced course in jewellery design, computer aided jewellery design and manufacturing, introduction to basic jewellery making, introduction to gemology, and a short term course in introduction to diamond grading. Delhi has a large number of small manufacturing units, mostly family owned, dealing in this trade.