SJMA Vision 2031 & Beyond: Innovating in India For The World
India’s jewellery sector stands at a remarkable crossroads, where centuries of artistry meet the modern world’s call for transparency, responsibility, and innovation. Long celebrated for its unmatched craftsmanship and cultural depth, the industry has traditionally been seen as a guardian of heritage rather than a hub for structured, global investment. That perception is shifting. A new generation of jewellers and manufacturers is reimagining how India’s brilliance can shine on the world stage—ethically, sustainably, and with a renewed sense of purpose.
At the heart of this transformation lies the Developed SJMA – Vision 2031 & Beyond, an ambitious roadmap led by the Surat Jewellery Manufacturers’ Association (SJMA) and powered by the Values of Vishwakarma (VoV) Mark Program. This vision champions a jewellery ecosystem that balances artistry with accountability, creativity with compliance, and tradition with traceability.
By aligning with global standards while preserving its cultural essence, India’s jewellery manufacturing industry is positioning itself as a trusted and transparent player in the luxury economy. The journey to 2031 is not just about scaling production, it’s about reshaping perception, building enduring brands, and creating a legacy where every crafted piece reflects both India’s soul and its sustainable future.
Decoding the Values of Vishwakarma (VoV) Mark
In Indian mythology, Vishwakarma is revered as the divine architect, the celestial craftsman who built the palaces of the gods, forged their ornaments, and shaped the very symbols of beauty and precision that define creation itself. Every artisan, sculptor, and jeweler in India carries a trace of that spirit. The decision to name India’s new national certification initiative the Values of Vishwakarma (VoV) Mark is a tribute to this timeless ideal, the belief that creation is sacred, and craftsmanship must be guided by ethics, purpose, and excellence.
Just as Vishwakarma embodied both artistry and discipline, the VoV Mark stands at the intersection of tradition and transformation. It honors the ancient lineage of Indian jewellery making – a craft that has adorned civilizations for millennia – while responding to a rapidly changing global reality. In a world increasingly defined by transparency, traceability, and sustainability, the jewellery sector must do more than dazzle; it must demonstrate integrity.
The Surat Jewellery Manufacturers’ Association (SJMA) recognized this need and took a historic step by introducing the VoV Mark, a certification that reflects the values of its namesake: artistry rooted in ethics, creativity grounded in credibility, and growth guided by purpose. It unites the divine spirit of craftsmanship with the practical frameworks demanded by modern commerce, offering India’s jewellery industry a roadmap to global leadership.
The VoV Mark stands as the cornerstone of SJMA’s “Developed SJMA – Vision 2031 & Beyond” initiative – a long-term mission to position Surat as the global epicentre of jewellery innovation and luxury craftsmanship, much like Switzerland’s association with watches or Italy’s with fashion. This vision extends beyond geography, aspiring to make India the world’s most trusted hub for responsible and sustainable jewellery manufacturing. It seeks not to replace the traditional essence of Indian craftsmanship but to elevate it through structure, transparency, and technology.
This movement marks a pivotal shift, from being merely a producer of ornate beauty to becoming an emblem of trust and transformation.
By 2031, SJMA member companies aim to emerge as globally certified and compliant luxury manufacturers, value-driven exporters, and enterprises backed by institutional investors, creating an industry resilient to price fluctuations and powered by aspiration, ethics, and enduring brand value.
Vision: To make India a global leader in ethical, sustainable, and competitive jewellery manufacturing.
Mission: To empower every jeweler through measurable benchmarks across
People: Skilled and secure workforce supported by sustainable HR practices, social security, and continuous capacity building.
Process: Compliance-driven operations aligned with ZED, ISO, RJC, and NABL standards, reinforced by strong risk management and financial discipline.
Product: Certified, traceable, high-value jewellery products that meet global luxury market standards.
Core Values: Transparency, accountability, inclusion, sustainability, and innovation.
These guiding principles are not ornamental; they define how certified jewellers operate every day. Each value translates into measurable actions — structured audits, transparent documentation, welfare programs, and innovation-led growth. The result is a living ecosystem where artistry thrives within an ethical, credible, and growth-oriented framework.
The VoV initiative also reflects a quiet revolution in how India perceives its jewellery sector. Historically admired for its scale and skill, the industry has often been seen as fragmented or informal. Vision 2031 seeks to rewrite that perception, presenting India’s jewellery ecosystem as a structured, investible, and globally credible enterprise. The mission is not only to create jewellery but to create trust, the rarest gem in the global luxury market.
A Governance Model Rooted in Integrity
Trust, once earned, must be safeguarded. The credibility of any certification depends on how independently and transparently it is governed. The VoV Mark ensures this through a rigorous multi-layered governance framework that prioritizes impartiality, accountability, and traceability.
At the foundation lies the Field & Integrity Unit (FIU), a body responsible for on-site audits and first-hand assessments. Its teams visit manufacturing units, workshops, and offices to verify compliance with VoV benchmarks. Rather than relying on self-declared data, the FIU gathers tangible evidence and real-world insights to ensure accuracy.
The second layer, the Central Certification & Governance Unit (CCGU), reviews and validates all findings from the FIU. This cross-verification mechanism minimizes human error and reinforces credibility. Every certification is earned through transparent documentation and verifiable processes.
The third and most critical tier is the Governing Council, an independent panel of experts drawn from diverse domains – sustainability, finance, ethics, and technology. This council has the final authority to approve certifications. Its members operate autonomously, free from commercial or political influence, preserving the program’s neutrality.
Overseeing strategic direction without direct involvement in day-to-day ratings is the Core Committee. This structure ensures balance, allowing long-term vision to guide operations, without compromising integrity or procedural independence.
Supporting this framework is a blockchain-based digital system, which ensures tamper-proof traceability and a zero-conflict-of-interest rule. Every data point, from audit results to certification validity, is stored securely and transparently. This digital backbone ensures that once certified, a jeweler’s ethical standing is verifiable by anyone, anywhere, at any time.
By weaving together human integrity and technological precision, the VoV Mark governance system becomes a global benchmark for responsible certification.
The Rating Matrix: Measuring What Truly Matters
Excellence in jewellery manufacturing is multi-dimensional, it must reflect precision in process, purity in materials, fairness in labor, and responsibility in sourcing. To capture this complexity, the SJMA developed a 100-point rating matrix that evaluates both global compliance and human-centered values.
Seventy percent of the score is derived from Global Standards, aligning the Indian jewellery ecosystem with internationally accepted best practices. These include:
ZED (Zero Defect Zero Effect): Ensuring quality production that minimizes waste and environmental harm.
BIS/NABL Hallmarking: Certifying material authenticity and purity.
RJC (Responsible Jewellery Council) Certification: Aligning with global ethical sourcing and labor standards.
ISO/ISMS Protocols: Maintaining quality management and information security.
Financial Credibility Ratings (ICRA/CRISIL): Reinforcing investor trust and financial transparency.
The remaining thirty percent celebrates Human-Centric Values like the cultural and ethical pillars that define India’s jewellery industry. These criteria include workforce welfare, mentorship traditions, gender inclusion, innovation culture, intellectual property protection, and respect for artisanal heritage.
This balance between quantifiable global metrics and qualitative human factors gives the VoV Mark its distinctive strength. It acknowledges that true excellence cannot be achieved through numbers alone; it must reflect compassion, respect, and creativity.
Jewelers are categorized into four rating levels – Normal, 3-Star, 4-Star, and 5-Star – based on their cumulative score. These ratings influence not just reputation but also market access, financing opportunities, and global visibility. For international buyers and investors, a VoV rating serves as a trusted indicator of credibility and commitment.
Through this matrix, the SJMA has effectively turned abstract values into measurable parameters, transforming ideals into action.
Digital by Design
As the world moves toward digital transparency, the jewellery industry must evolve beyond traditional verification. The VoV Mark embodies this shift by being Digital by Design, integrating blockchain, AI, and data-led governance at its core.
Every certified piece carries a blockchain-backed QR code that instantly reveals certification details, sourcing history, and compliance data, ensuring each product’s authenticity is verifiable and tamper-proof.
The SJMA Global Digital Platform acts as the industry’s command center, bringing together certifications, ESG dashboards, carbon credits, and IP management into one secure interface. It automates audit trails, ensures real-time compliance visibility, and integrates sustainability metrics into daily business operations.
For jewellers, it means efficiency. For consumers, confidence. For investors and regulators, it means traceability built on trust.
Empowering the Future for India’s Jewellery Industry
The Values of Vishwakarma (VoV) Mark represents a transformative leap in how India envisions its jewellery future – one built on ethics, inclusivity, and innovation. More than a certification, it is a philosophy redefining the industry’s path to global relevance.
It calls upon every jeweller, from local artisans to established exporters, to pursue success with purpose, aligning creativity with conscience. The Mark recognizes that modern luxury extends beyond aesthetics; it is about trust, authenticity, and shared growth. By fostering inclusive participation, the movement ensures that digital transformation uplifts rather than disrupts, empowering artisans and small manufacturers to share in India’s progress.
The VoV initiative replaces fragmented progress with a collaborative growth model. By uniting jewellers under a shared framework of quality and responsibility, it builds collective credibility that resonates globally. Indian jewellery is thus redefined, not only as an expression of beauty but as a standard of ethical and innovative excellence.
Technology becomes the enabler of this vision. Artificial intelligence and analytics help predict trends, optimize resources, and personalize consumer experiences. This fusion of creativity and computation transforms artistry into a future-ready ecosystem.
Inclusivity remains central. Through continuous skilling, social equity, and digital literacy, the VoV movement ensures that artisans and MSMEs are not left behind. By aligning growth with global sustainability goals, India’s jewellery industry proves that ethical business can also be scalable business.
As the industry aligns under this shared value system, it steps into a future defined by credibility and leadership. The VoV Mark positions India not just as a manufacturer of beauty, but as a global steward of responsible luxury, where every creation carries both cultural legacy and contemporary integrity.
Wrapping Up
In essence, the VoV Mark is more than a symbol, it is a statement of intent. It positions India not only as a manufacturing powerhouse but as a moral and creative leader in the global luxury landscape. With its ethical foundation, inclusive spirit, and digital precision, the movement ensures that India’s jewellery ecosystem is not merely future-ready. It is future-defining, setting the standard for what responsible luxury will mean in the decades to come.