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A new design for jewellery retailing in India

NIS Sparta, a sales and marketing training organisation and consultancy, in association with the World Gold Council, is planning to launch the country's first specialised course in jewellery retail selling in Madras, New Delhi and Bombay.

According to NIS Sparta president Sanjeev Duggal, skilled personnel are necessary in jewellery showrooms to help the consumer.

The programme, conceptualised by the WGC, would improve retail selling of jewellery in India, he said.

India, the largest gold consumer market in the world, last year recorded the highest sale of 815 tonnes of gold jewellery. Jewellery showrooms have been mushrooming in cities and even towns across the country.

NIS Sparta would also garner support from the jewellery industry to provide training and later employment opportunities for students who successfully complete this programme, he said.

Meanwhile, in a market-related development, Corporation Bank, a leading public sector enterprise, has announced that it will commence gold retailing at a few identified branches in New Delhi and other centres in the country from next month.

CB chairman R S Hugar said response to gold retailing was very encouraging in Mangalore, Udupi and Ernakulam.

CB is one of the first public sector banks to embark on gold banking and had commenced wholesale operation in January 1998 in many places.

Hugar said, in tune with the Reserve Bank of India policy, and thegovernment initiative in the Budget, the bank had already initiated plans to mop up domestic gold through the gold deposit scheme. The bank was planning to start gold assaying units in collaboration with other participating banks.

UNI

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