palanpuronline

News & Events

News Room >> News & Event >> News Content

22 Mar 2017

Sevantilal P. Shah of Venus Jewel Receives ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ from GJEPC

Receiving the IGJA Award

Pioneering and visionary Palanpuri diamantaire Sevantilal Premchand Shah, Founder Partner of Venus Jewel was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 43rd India Gem & Jewellery Awards (IGJA 2016) hosted by The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) for his innumerable contributions to the advancement of the industry. The award was presented by Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis in the presence of many leading lights from the gem and jewellery industry.

The IGJA Souvenir released on the occasion gives an overview of Shah’s pathbreaking efforts in developing his business and in the process establishing many new benchmarks for the industry itself.

At his factory in Surat

Shah was born in 1948 in Vadgam, Banaskantha and established Venus Jewel along with elder brother Ramnikbhai with a perfection-oriented and scientific approach to managing the business from the very beginning.

Some of his noteworthy new initiatives include:

• Starting manufacturing of large diamonds, beginning with one carat and above sizes in 1988

• Pioneering ‘Single Piece Packaging’

• Conceptualising, his Company’s proprietary Venus Grading System® (VGS®) in 1997

• Commencing the use of computers and IT in the industry as early as in 1986 and pioneering the concept of online diamond selling by launching www.venusjewel.com in 1996

• Improving working conditions and introducing various welfare measures such as an incentive-based wage system in the early 70’s; providing healthy and hygienic freshly cooked lunch to all employees at no cost; introducing the concept of a centrally air-conditioned factory; covering all employees under his company’s superannuation scheme.

Under his leadership, Venus Jewel not only continued production during the crisis of 2008-09, but also did not lay off a single worker, and as a result was the subject of a case study carried out by the renowned IIM-Ahmedabad. His efforts on different fronts have been featured in various prestigious publications including TIME magazine and others.

Award from Gujarat Govt.

Shah was the first Gujarat convener of GJEPC and founded the Regional Office in Surat in 1987-88. He was also involved in the formation of the Surat Hira Bourse and the ‘Gem & Jewellery Park’ in Icchapore, Surat; and is now an active member of the Core Committee setting up the Surat Diamond Bourse.

A well known philanthropist, Shah is a Trustee of the Ashaktashram Trust which manages the Smt. Rasilaben Sevantilal Shah Venus Hospital in Surat. He has also contributed generously to numerous educational, medical and social development programmes of the government as well as of private bodies.

Prior to this award, Shah has earlier been felicitated and awarded by the Gujarat government and various trade bodies.