Festival of Gold opens to milling audiences
Wednesday, 16 October 2002, 19:30 IST
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NEW DELHI: Gold and glamour vied for attention at an exhibition of hallmarked gold jewelery here Tuesday. The Festival of Gold, which brought together the best of craftsmanship and designs from all parts of the country, also had the crowds milling for a closer look at actress Karishma Kapoor who is engaged to marry film icon Amitabh Bachchan's son Abhishek. "The festival showcases the rich design traditions of India. It is an effort to promote the quality gold jewellery that ensures people get their money's worth," said Minister of State for Commerce Rajiv Pratap Rudy while inaugurating the show. The event has been organised by the state-owned Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation (MMTC), the country's largest bullion trading house. The World Gold Council has been attempting for the past few years to promote awareness of quality hallmarked gold in India, the largest consumer of the yellow metal. The effort received a major impetus from MMTC, which has four duty free outlets in the country and two showrooms in Delhi and Mumbai where mainly gold and silver medallions and bars are sold. Importing around 100 tonnes of gold and 500 tonnes of silver annually, MMTC has been holding exhibitions overseas during the last few years to promote Indian gold and silver jewellery in markets like Singapore, Malaysia, Bangkok and the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf countries to promote exports. "Through the exhibition we want to create awareness of quality hallmarked gold so that people demand it and get their money's worth. It is also an effort to showcase the best of Indian craftsmanship and designs," said MMTC chairman and managing director S. B. Kapoor. Setting the benchmark for quality gold, MMTC put on display gold of 24 carat plus purity of 999.99 finesse from Valcambi of Switzerland. For silver lovers, MMTC's has brought out a range of new products under its Sanchi brand.
Source: IANS
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