IIM Ahmedabad, GJC Renew Landmark Collaboration
The All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council is expanding its partnership with IIM Ahmedabad through the second edition of GemLead Focus, an executive masterclass designed for professionals in the gems and jewellery sector. The programme builds on last year’s inaugural run and aims to address leadership challenges specific to the industry.
Residential Programme Details
The 2026 edition will take place from August 31 to September 3 at the IIM Ahmedabad campus. Participants will engage in an immersive residential learning experience led by faculty from the business school. The four-day format allows for deep dives into topics that typically receive limited attention in standard management programmes.
According to GJC, the collaboration was formed to address gaps in leadership development within India’s gems and jewellery sector. Unlike general management programmes, GemLead Focus tailors its curriculum to the unique challenges faced by family-owned businesses and entrepreneurial ventures that dominate the industry.
Guest Speakers Announced
Two business leaders will join the programme as guest speakers. Pankaj R. Patel, Chairman of Zydus Lifesciences, brings experience leading a diversified pharmaceutical company through periods of significant growth and professionalisation. Sandeep Engineer, Managing Director of Astral Polytechnik Ltd., offers perspective on scaling manufacturing operations and transitioning family enterprises into professionally managed organisations.
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Both speakers will conduct interactive sessions where participants can engage directly with them. The programme description indicates these conversations will focus on practical lessons applicable to participants’ own businesses rather than theoretical frameworks.
Curriculum Focus Areas
The masterclass covers nine distinct topic areas across three broad themes. The first theme addresses family business challenges, including trends that create obstacles to growth and the process of introducing professional management structures into traditionally family-run operations.
Strategy and execution form the second focus area. Sessions will examine how business leaders can develop coherent strategies and translate them into actionable plans. The third theme centres on wealth management, covering valuation methods for early-stage firms, understanding capital costs, asset allocation approaches, and strategies for preserving family wealth across generations.
The gems and jewellery industry in India has historically relied on family ownership structures, making some of these topics particularly relevant to participants. Many businesses in the sector have reached scale without adopting formal management practices, creating both opportunities and risks as the market evolves.
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Industry Perspective
Avinash Gupta, Vice Chairman of GJC, said the programme aims to help members scale their operations while adopting international standards. “By integrating insights on family business professionalisation, strategy execution, and wealth management, this programme empowers our members to lead with clarity, innovate with confidence, and build resilient, future-ready enterprises,” he said in a statement.
Ketan Choksi, Convenor of GemLead, noted that the collaboration leverages strengths from both organisations. He said the programme provides actionable insights and practical tools rather than abstract business concepts. “The inclusion of eminent guest speakers ensures that participants gain perspectives from leaders who have successfully handled diverse industries,” Choksi added.
The programme represents an effort by GJC to position its members for a business environment that increasingly rewards formal management practices and strategic clarity. Whether the masterclass format can meaningfully shift how family businesses in the sector operate remains to be seen, but the curriculum addresses areas that industry observers have long identified as developmental gaps.
Registration and Participation
Details about eligibility requirements and fees were not included in the programme materials reviewed. GJC members seeking information about participation should contact the council directly through official channels.
