Low wages a bane for gems and jewellery industry: Report

NEW DELHI: Average wage in India’s gems and jewelry trade, at Rs 2.52 large integer every year, is under that of alternative industries like drug company and capital product, resulting in acute labour shortage within the sector, says a report.
What makes things worse is poor operating conditions and restricted compliance with health and safety standards, that explains low interest among job-seekers for the trade, the Assocham-Thought Arbitrage analysis Institute (TARI) study pointed out.
The hierarchy has pharmaceuticals within the lead with a median wage of Rs five.09 lakh every year. The figure for capital product reads Rs four.94 lakh, whereas natural philosophy settles for Rs four.43 lakh, chemical (Rs three.97 lakh), automotive (Rs three.77 lakh), construction material (Rs two.88 lakh), metal and metal product (Rs two.54 lakh), that makes them a lot of profitable for job-seekers.
There square measure alternative turn-offs as well: excessive and prolonged exposure to fatal chemicals and gases which will cause respiratory organ tissue and kidney injury and cancer makes the jewelry trade less attractive for the youth.
Unorganised players and small-scale enterprises, not familiar to use up-to-date technology and high-quality materials within the producing method, additionally pull down the trade growth, the study discovered.
“Sustainable growth of any trade wants continuous provide of new talent with skills and ground-breaking ideas,” it recommended.
“Manual strategies of cutting, polishing, producing and planning of gems and jewelry have to be compelled to be substituted with high-end machines and software package by impartation sensible coaching to the youth on the use of optical maser machines and alternative fashionable techniques prevalent globally,” Assocham administrator D S Rawat aforesaid.
The study pitched for systematic and collective investment in ability development through inflated vocational education and hands development programmes, which may create a bigger talent pool.
It additionally created a robust case for providing safety kits with daily-use equipment like glasses, gas masks, gloves, research laboratory coats et al to employees, noting that such measures will facilitate scale back negative impact on workers’ health, attract a lot of young population and retain the present manpower.