GJ Town India

  Weekly insights from the WGC reveal strong gold performance   Recently, World Gold Council [WGC] published Weekly [December 1 to 5 December, week] Markets Monitor.  Its key review highlights said, 1: Gold extended its strength: the LBMA Gold Price PM rose 1.2% w/w to US$4,243/oz, stretching the y-t-d gain to an impressive 63%. 2: Support from declining FX opportunity costs (+0.7%) outweighed pressure from rising yields, (-0.3%) and slowing gold ETF inflows (-0.1%), lifting gold up last week.    3: Global investors continued to be net buyers of gold ETFs – albeit at a slower pace – and their gold options’ bullish exposure also pulled back. 4: Gold needs to see a sustained move above resistance at US$4,245/oz to complete a triangle, continuation pattern for a resumption of its core uptrend.    The last week review for the US suggests, service sector strength, manufacturing weakness, and mixed signals from jobs market. Manufacturing and services activi...

  Recognized as world’s largest real-time payment: IMF   The International Monetary Fund (IMF) report on, Growing Retail Digital Payments (The Value of Interoperability); dated June 2025 had recognized Unified Payments Interface (UPI) as the world’s largest retail fast-payment system (FPS) by transaction volume.   Further, as per ACI Worldwide report on, Prime Time for Real-Time- 2024, UPI has around 49% share in the global real-time payment system transaction volume. The detailed comparison illustrating UPI's current status and market share against other leading international real-time payment platforms is given in the table below.   In order to support small scale merchants in adopting digital payment systems including UPI, various initiatives have been taken up by the Government, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) from time to time. These inter alia, include incentive scheme for promotion of low value BHIM-UPI transaction...

  Diamonds & Drums Meets Patriotism & Industry Excellence   In a vibrant display of national pride and solidarity, the Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) in Mumbai has kicked off an inspiring, year-long celebration commemorating the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, India's revered national song. This monumental initiative follows the directive of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, who has encouraged organizations and citizens to honor the legacy of Vande Mataram with enthusiasm and unity.  Grand Gathering: Hundreds Rally for Vande Mataram's Legacy.    Marking the start of the celebrations, over 100 diamond merchants and BDB staff united in an unforgettable demonstration, Men Standing 150 Years; serving as a living tribute to Bankim Chandra Chatterjee, the iconic author of the national song, and the spirit it has instilled in generations.    This striking formation not only celebrated the song's pioneering role in India's independence movement but als...

  Further, the Council proposed flexibility for SEZs   GJEPC submitted a set of pre-budget proposals to the Government of India in New Delhi on 7th November, aimed at improving ease of doing business and boosting exports. The Council proposals were put forth by Kirit Bhansali, Chairman, GJEPC; Anoop Mehta, Convener – Diamond Panel; K. Srinivasan, Convener – Gold Panel, GJEPC; and Sabyasachi Ray, Executive Director, GJEPC.   Key proposals include a liberalised taxation framework for rough diamond trading in Special Notified Zones, on the lines of other international diamond trading hubs like Israel, Dubai, Belgium, etc., and an extension of the customs duty exemption on lab-grown diamond seeds beyond March 2026 to support India’s fast-growing LGD industry. GJEPC also sought retrospective applicability of the ±0.01 mm height variance parameter (2014-2025) for re-imported diamonds sent for certification/grading, ad-valorem duty drawbacks for gold and silver to reflec...

  CEO & VP roles are rolling in the 2025 management   De Beers Group announced changes to its Executive Committee, with current Chief Operating Officer, Burger Greeff, retiring at the end of the year following three decades of exceptional service. Kevin Smith, currently Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Strategy, will become Interim Chief Operating Officer, while Eirik Waerness, currently Senior Vice President & Chief Economist, will move into the role of Acting Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs & Strategy, both effective from 1 December 2025.    Burger joined De Beers Group in August 1993 as a Senior Research Officer at De Beers Consolidated Mines. Over his career with De Beers, Burger has held numerous pivotal leadership roles across the business, including Senior Research Manager: Strategic, General Manager at De Beers Marine SA, and Executive Head of Technical & Sustainability. His leadership has spanned technical innovat...

  Some 350 delegates & guests attended the three-day event    The 2025 CIBJO Congress concluded in Paris on October 29, 2025, following the traditional gathering of the CIBJO General Assembly, this time at the headquarters of the Union Française de la Bijouterie, Joaillerie, Orfèvrerie, des Pierres et des Perles (UFBJOP), the host of the congress.    Some 350 delegates and guests attended the three-day event, which marked the start of CIBJO's Centenary Year, with the association having been founded in Paris as a pan-European body in 1926 and transforming into a global organisation in 1961. Many hundreds more viewed the proceedings online, with all sessions being streamed live via the CIBJO Congress website and CIBJO's YouTube channel.  Recordings of each the CIBJO Congress will become available on the CIBJO Congress website within the coming few days. During the General Assembly it was formally confirmed that the CIBJO's Centenary Congress will ...

  The FCDI reflects a measured and stable market landscape in Q3 2025    The Fancy Color Research Foundation (FCRF) announced the results of the Fancy Color Diamond [FCD] Index (FCDI) for Q3 2025.    Following a modest decline in Q2, the index held steady this quarter, with no overall movement across all fancy color diamond categories. Beneath this flat headline, certain sub-categories, particularly within the Pink segment, demonstrated noteworthy increase.    Despite persistent macroeconomic uncertainty, the fancy color diamond market continues to exhibit large pockets of resilience. Prices for most categories moved within tight margins, suggesting ongoing buyer caution but not capitulation. In contrast to broader volatility in the white diamond market, the FCDI reflects a measured and stable landscape in Q3 2025. The overall Fancy Color Diamond Index (FCDI) remained unchanged in Q3 2025, following a 0.5% decline in Q2 and a 0.3% decrease ...