The 11thAnnual Gemfields and Nazraana Retail Jeweller India Awards 2015 Premieres India’s Top 200 Nominated Designs Exhibiting the Creative Brilliance of India's Elite Jewellers

www.retailjewellerindiaawards.in

Mumbai, 18^th June, 2015:The 11^thAnnual Gemfields and Nazraana Retail Jeweller India Awards2015- An Elite Circle of Excellence, also known as the Oscars of the jewellery industry, held its GRAND JURY MEET showcasing India’s top 200 nominated jewellery creations atJade Ballroom, Sahara Star, Mumbai. The ‘Grand Jury meet’ is a distinctive event that showcases top rated  unique, creative and innovative designs from some of the most reputable jewellery houses across the country.

  

“These awards were launched at a time when the industry was opening up to the new opportunities of organized retailing. Today, in the context of the transforming consumer landscape, the awards have greater relevance. To keep pace with it, jewellery retailers are reimaging design and making it more versatile and cosmopolitan. These awards bear testimony to theindustry’s growing standards of design brilliance catering to the modern consumer's need for differentiation and uniqueness,” said Soma Bhatta, Editor, The Retail Jeweller.

After two rigorous rounds of selection over 200 world class-precious jewellery designs across 12 categories including 4 vivah and 8 non-vivah jewellery categories have come in from across India.The pieces displayed at the ‘Grand Jury Meet’ have been screened through a rigorous 2-tier selection process that includes initial screening (for adherence to entry guidelines) by IMRB, process auditors for the awards, followed by an online judging by the jury.

The Jury Panel included Neha Dhupia (Actress), Michelle Poonawalla(Director, Poonawalla Group of Engineering Companies), Rouble Nagi (Artist Muralist), Ananya Banerjee (Artist), Vaishali Banerjee(Managing Director, Platinum Guild India), Shazia Khan (Vice President & Strategic Planning Director, JWT), Radha Kapoor (Founder & Executive Director, Indian School of Design and Innovation (ISDI) and AshitKukian(President & COO, Radio City 91.1 FM).

Representing a diverse group of people, distinguished professionals, all of whom are experts and leaders in their independent fields, the eclectic mix draws considerable collective wisdom and experience from across genres that have strong synergies with the jewellery industry.

“It’s an honor to be associated with the oldest and the most credible industry awards. Each year, the Awards set new benchmark in the design standards,” says Neha Dhupia, Actress.

“I was overwhelmed with the wide variety of designs, ranges and the quality of the craftsmanship and creativity in India which unfolded before me last year. This year also, it has lived up to my expectations,” says Michelle Poonawalla, Director, Poonawalla Group of Engineering Companies.

“Judging at the Retail Jeweller India Awards was a great opportunity for me to assess beauty, excellence and innovation of some exquisite jewellery pieces,” says Ananya Banerjee, Artist.

"At the Grand Jury Meet, I was extremely impressed with the artistic value and craftsmanship in the shortlisted designs, “saysRouble Nagi, Artist& Muralist.

“The Retail Jeweller India Awards reiterates the importance of achieving design excellence. I was looking forward to some innovative, forward thinking design this year from the participants and I was pleasantly surprised,” says Vaishali Banerjee, Managing Director, Platinum Guild India.

“The touch-and-feel aspect has added precision to our role as jury member,” says Radha Kapoor, Founder & Executive Director, Indian School of Design and Innovation (ISDI).

“The Awards have proven its versatility again this year by bringing in new trends,” says Shazia Khan, Vice President & Strategic Planning Director, JWT.

“This year Awards have shown that the industry is continuing its progress in terms of innovation,” says AshitKukian, President & COO, Radio City 91.1 FM.

On this special occasion, Vikram Merchant, Manager, India Representative Office, Diamond Sales & Marketing, Rio Tinto said, “The Retail Jeweller India Awards has successfully set the benchmark of design excellence in the industry by cultivating the culture of design innovation.”

“Banking on transparent, professional and detailed judging process, the Retail Jeweller India Awards has established itself as the most cherished industry benchmark. We are very proud of our association with this prestigious platform,” says Rupak Sen, Regional Marketing Director – Asia, Gemfields.

“The Retail Jeweller India Awards commands credibility of the highest level in the industry and retailers takes pride in showcasing their creative prowess in design and retail and marketing concepts at this prestigious arena,” says Piyush Patel, Director, Dharmanandan Diamonds.

“Jewellery is embedded in our culture. The challenge is to keep it relevant to a demographic that is largely youth. In the recent past, we have seen the emergence of new metal, technologies and trends. It is only through design we can bind these elements to tell a story. The design idea and story-telling will play a central role in engaging with these young audiences. Platforms such as The Retail Jeweller India Awards both inspire and challenge designers to create meaningful stories,” says Vaishali Banerjee, Managing Director, Platinum Guild India.

The 11th Gemfields and Nazraana Retail Jeweller India Awards 2015 (Jewellery categories):

1.      Diamond Jewellery of the Year

2.      Diamond Vivah Jewellery of the Year

3.      Gold Jewellery of the Year

4.      Gold Vivah Jewellery of the Year

5.      Couture Jewellery of the Year

6.      Colored Gemstone Jewellery of the Year

7.      Innovative Jewellery of the Year

8.      Heritage Jewellery of the Year

9.      Platinum Jewellery of the Year

10.   Jewellery Designer of the Year

11.   Best Accessory of the Year

12.   Colored Gemstone Vivah Jewellery of the Year

Retail & Marketing Categories:

1.      Print Campaign of the Year

2.      360 Marketing campaign of the Year

3.      TV Campaign of the Year

4.      Radio Campaign of the Year

5.      Retail Promotion of the Year

6.      New Showroom or Retail Transformation of the Year

About Retail Jeweller India Awards:Retail Jeweller India Awards was established in 2005 with the mission to take the US $30 billion Retail Jewellery industry forward by creating a platform for recognizing the best work of the industry in fields of design, retail and marketing.

 Also known as India’s Oscars for the Retail jewellery industry and the only business awards specifically for retail jewellers in the country of 3 lakh retail jewellers.

 With reputable jury, IMRB as the process auditors and NDTV Good Times as Television partner, the awards are the country’s premier and most authoritative national competition.  

It is an initiative of the Retail Jeweller Magazine which is a specialized bi-monthly business magazine read by top jewellery retailers across 415 cities of India. Completely focused on the subject of jewellery retailing, the magazine enjoys highest readership amongst progressive jewellery retailers in the country. Delivering focused communication for 48,000 HNI readers it has emerged as a dependable and reliable source for industry happenings and developments.

Jury Members

Michelle Poonawalla, Director, Poonawalla Group of Engineering Companies

Michelle Poonawalla is a Director of Poonawalla Group of Engineering Companies, Intervalve and Elomatic. The company has diversified interest in Engineering, Horse Racing and Breeding, Biotech and Hotels. She looks into all operations of the Engineering companies, particularly expansions and HR and IR related activities. However, that’s not all. She has graduated with honours in Interior Design from the American College in London. Art and design has always been in her blood, from being an A* graduate in art at A levels, to her grandfather the Late Jehangir Vazifdar who was a prominent architect of Mumbai. Michelle represents today’s India – affluent, ambitious and ready to take on the world. Thanks to her effortless panache, she has made it to best dressed lists and is a true style icon.

Ananya Banerjee, Artist                                     

Ananya Banerjee’s paintings display innovation and creativity. She is an artist to reckon who has been able to establish her own identity with exquisite blend of colour and texture. She
is adept in using various innovative mediums like aluminium, wood, gold and silver gilding on canvas.
She is a double graduate in Commerce and Law. She holds diploma in fine arts from Birla Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata and from Academy of Arts, Romford in England. She also has studied fine art and sculpture in Volkhochschule, Germany. Ananya has exhibited her paintings all across the globe, including prestigious cities like Paris, Dusseldorf and Amsterdam. Her paintings adorn the walls of private collectors as well the corporate world.

Ashit Kukian, President & COO, Radio City 91.1 FM

Ashit Kukian is the President & COO at Radio City 91.1FM, India’s Leading FM Radio Network. His leadership, industry insight and operational expertise have strengthened Radio City 91.1 FM’s culture of innovation and expanded the company’s operations. An excellent people manager with a keen eye for talent, Ashit leads a robust team responsible for driving revenues for the brand through traditional and non-traditional revenue streams. A veteran sales specialist, Ashit’s expertise in sales spans over 24 years. With over 15 years’ experience in the business of Media Management, Ashit has had an in-depth exposure in the marketing of Print and Television media. Prior to venturing into the radio industry, Ashit previously had a 13 year stint with Bennett Coleman & Company. As part of his portfolio there, Ashit lead a significant turnaround at Zoom Television, where within a year of launch, he was instrumental in positioning the channel as a premium Hindi entertainment channel for a high-end urban audience. During his tenure at BCCL, he was the driving force behind expanding leading brands - Femina and Filmfare wherein he played a critical role in launching Femina Book of Travel, Book of Interiors, Book of Fashion etc. During the course of his career, Ashit has also worked with leading brands like Laboratories Garnier Paris, Berger Paints and Johnson & Johnson. As the President & COO at Radio City 91.1 FM, Ashit is driven to ensure unmatched client delight by redefining known thresholds in delivering pioneering, brand innovations both for national and regional advertisers nationwide, further strengthening Radio City 91.1 FM’s leadership across the Indian sub-continent. Under his leadership, recently Radio City 91.1. FM emerged as the favourite radio network of media planners/buyers according to the second edition of the Pitch Media BrandOmeter. Besides passionately working towards setting new benchmarks for Radio City 91.1 FM, Ashit also is passionate about reading and traveling. Being an avid music enthusiast, he enjoys listening to good music across genres.

Neha Dhupia Actress

Miss India 2002, Neha Dhupia has created an identity and brand of her own in Bollywood. Epitome of beauty and allure, her initial roles saw her playing the strong, controversial and edgy characters. Today, she has conquered the space of commercial as well as truly evocative, unconventional and diverse cinema. She is among the rarest breed of actresses in Bollywood who treads both mainstream and off-beat with aplomb. Her body of work includes out-and-out commercial ventures like Singh is King, Kya Kool Hain Hum, Shootout at Lokhandwala, De Dana Dan as well as critically acclaimed projects like Phas Gaya Re Obama, Delhi Heights, Ek Chalis Ki Last Local, Raat Gayi Baat Gayi, to name a few. She is the face of a number of successful ad-campaigns like Gitanjali Gems, Police Watches, Gillette, etc.

Radha Kapoor, Founder & Executive Director, ISDI

Radha’s creative flair and attention to detail cultivated her to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design at Parsons The New School for Design, New York. Through a combination of projects and internships, Radha has gained an in-depth understanding of multidisciplinary and collaborative approaches to design processes, addressing branding, visual identity, design history, digital technology, communication theory, sustainable graphic design, design research and creative entrepreneurship. She also holds a ‘Graduate Gemologist in diamonds and colored stones’ and ‘Accredited Jewelry Professional’ Diplomas from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), New York. Upon graduating from Parsons, Radha set up DOIT CREATIONS in 2009 as her holding umbrella company to conceptualize and promote new creative and innovative concepts. To unleash her creative skills, Radha formed BRAND CANVAS to bridge the creative gap between ART and bringing aesthetics to a working environment. The basic ideology that drives BRAND CANVAS is in creating a brand experience by communicating its essence, enhancing the value of a product, as well as changing the viewer /customer behaviour within the premises. Her most recent project that starts in July 2013 is the Indian School of Design and Innovation (ISDI) Mumbai, established in association with her alma mater the Parsons The New School of Design, New York; which is committed to a new model of design education inspired by the idea of design as a transformative force in society.  For more information please visit www.isdi.in and the e-brochure link http://eumo.in/ISDI-BROCHURE/isdi.html

Rouble Nagi, Artist & Muralist

Born in Jammu and Kashmir to an Army officer, Rouble Nagi, who loved painting since an early age, graduated in Commerce before deciding to be a professional artist during her teenage years. An alumnus of the Slade School of Fine Art in London, Rouble is the only Indian artist who does nearly 38 different mediums and has done 800 exhibitions of her work all over the world. A great admirer of the works of Rabindranath Tagore, Amrita Sher-Gill and M.F Husain, Rouble describes herself as an abstract artist and says that her art is inspired by life itself. Apart from her art, Rouble’s prime passion is her art foundation, the Rouble Nagi Art Foundation (RNAF), which strives to help under-privileged children discover the artist in themselves. The Rouble Nagi Art Foundation (RNAF) was started to help feed a child’s creativity which can provide benefits in all areas of life- personal, professional and even spiritual as Rouble believes that children should be encouraged in thought and action. Interestingly,  she has tried to take this cause further by roping in friends such as popular filmmaker Subhash Ghai and art patron Asha Patel to form the Nagi Art Foundation (RNAF), with the vision of providing a platform for these children and nurturing their latent artistic talent. Rouble’s foundation works closely with NGO Pratham to help organize camps supported by senior artists from both India and abroad. Nagi also sponsored artists who couldn’t exhibit their art and wok. RNAF sponsors and curate shows for young upcoming and physically challenge artists, who cannot afford to exhibit their works. Sponsorships in the field of arts and entertainment for young students is also be provided by the foundation. Apart from Ghai and Patel, Rouble has friends and supporters in people like Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Sushmita Sen, Wasim Akram, Sohail Khan, Zayed Khan and Aditya Thackeray, to name a few.

Shazia Khan, Vice President & Executive Planning Director, JWT

Shazia Khan is Executive Planning Director, JWT. In her career spanning brands and categories, she has closely looked at spaces through the lens of strategy. She has won several awards, the latest being IPA, Effie and Atticus for her extraordinary contribution in the realm of brand-consumer connection. She has also led an award winning piece titled "A JWT perspective on Changing India", published in Campaign Magazine in October 2011.

Vaishali Banerjee, Managing Director, Platinum Guild India

Vaishali Banerjee spearheads the Platinum Guild India Pvt. Ltd, the Indian arm of Platinum Guild International. Right from the inception of the Indian company in 2000, Vaishali has led the Indian operation. Prior to PGI, Vaishali has many years of rich experience in advertising and marketing, working with premier advertising and marketing companies. With a strong experience of market orientation, audience analysis and an understanding of the lifestyle, beauty and luxury categories in India, Vaishali has provided strategic leadership to the overall marketing, advertising and branding and trade strategies to develop the Indian platinum jewellery market. Vaishali holds a Masters in Economics and a specialization in Advertising and Marketing. She enjoys spending time with her friends and families. A voracious reader, she enjoys films, theatre and jazz.