“WDC Members Making a Difference” is a WDC Newsletter series that features initiatives and projects undertaken by members of the World Diamond Council to support the communities and countries in which they are active.
The newest article in the series focuses on the efforts being made by the Jewelex Group in India, to provide educational and work opportunities to specially-abled individuals.
ENABLING, INCLUDING AND EMPOWERING
OCTOBER 7, 2025
The plight of individuals who have a physical or cognitive disability often flies under our radar. Not only do they have to deal with what are objectively significant and ongoing challenges, but these frequently are compounded because their community is stigmatized and underestimated by society itself.
In India, where the number of people with a disability is estimated to be about 31 million, prospects can be daunting. Employment rates are low, with only 36 percent participating in the workforce. This is in stark contrast to those without disabilities. And, while specific national data for cognitive disabilities are limited, studies shows that work-opportunity outcomes for people who are intellectually challenged can be especially severe.
Many people with a disability start adult life with an educational deficit. A report released in 2019 by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences showed that of the more than 7.8 million children in India with disabilities, only 61 percent were enrolled in recognized schools or training institutes. Approximately 12 percent had been once been enrolled but dropped out, while 27 percent have never attended school at all.
A commitment to inclusivity
One industry leader that is not allowing the challenge of people with disabilities to slip under its radar is the Jewelex Group. Founded in 1966 as P.D. Kothari & Co., its transitioned over the years from being an exclusively diamond manufacturing and trading operation to becoming a major player in jewelry and diamonds, with a vast presence internationally. In 2004 it restructured, unifying all of its global affiliates under the single brand name “Jewelex.”
Over the past four decades, Jewelex has fostered a culture that deliberately values diversity, equity and inclusion, building a workforce with representation from varied segments of society. The company’s workforce is today comprised of 43 percent female workers, including four at the executive level, and has undertaken many DEI programs, including some strategic initiatives to support specially-abled people. The latter goes back to 2006, when the first few people with disabilities were recruited.
Jewelex believes that employees should be judged by their individual capabilities, rather than their limitations.
Jewelex’s decision to use the terms “specially-abled” is significant. Not all disabled individuals like it because they say it suggests that they are in some way privileged by their disability, rather than openly addressing the difficulties they face. But many others, including Jewelex, insist that the newer term represents a shift in mindset, so that one looks at people based on their individual capabilities, creativity and determination, rather than on their limitations.
In 2016, the Indian parliament passed the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, which mandated that 4 percent of all public sector jobs would be reserved for persons with “benchmark disabilities,” 1 percent of which would be for people with cognitive difficulties. The law did not set targets for the private sector, but it did encourage the business community to take similar steps.
Jewelex took it upon itself to surpass the government recommendation. What started with a handful of recruits has today grown into a thriving community of 110 specially abled employees — nearly 3 percent of its workforce. The company’s goals is to raise that figure to between 6 percent and 8 percent.
“Our aim was never charity, but empowerment,” says Dr. Samta Jain, Chief People Officer at Jewelex. “Each SAP employee brings unmatched focus and loyalty — qualities that elevate not just our productivity, but our culture of care and inclusion. Our vision is to bring them into the mainstream and the results reinforce our belief that talent knows no barriers.”
Students in the GJSCO training program, learning essential skills for working in jewelry manufacturing facility.
Creating an educational infrastructure
For the project to be viable, it was essential that the specially-abled workers be provided the skills and knowledge necessary to work within the diamond and jewelry sectors. For this purpose, Jewelex collaborated with the Gem & Jewellery Skill Council of India (GJSCI), which is a body that had been established in 2012 by a group of industry associations, among them the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council. It today operates under India’s Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
The unit managing the project was the Jewelry Occupational Skilling Hub (JOSH), which was created by GJSCI to focus primarily on training candidates from deprived backgrounds. On June 27, 2024, JOSH held its seventh graduation ceremony, and the first in which certificates were also handed out to a group of specially-abled students.
The entire group of specially-abled graduates had been mobilized and supported during the training process by Jewelex India.
To select candidates for training at JOSH, starting 2023 Jewelex reached out to more 700 persons with disabilities through job fairs, NGOs and other institutions.
There were challenges in motivating candidates to persist in the challenging study program, and more than a few dropouts. Rajeev Garg, CEO of GJSCI, credits Jewelex for sponsoring the purchasing of additional equipment at JOSH, interpreter services, and the development of 48 specialized training modules and assessments for specially-abled person. “They made it possible for the students to attend lectures alongside others by designing training videos with picture-in-picture sign language support, and providing interpreters who remain present daily to aid communication between trainers and students,” he said.
“June 2024 was a very special inflexion point for an inclusion program aimed at empowering persons with disabilities that we began very long ago,” says Jewelex director Ashish ‘Bobby’ Kothari.
All of the graduating specially-abled students were employed by the Jewelex and today are integrated into the filing, polishing and micro-setting departments, contributing directly to the overall high standards of excellence for which Jewelex is renowned.
The graduation ceremony of the Jewelry Occupational Skilling Hub (JOSH)on July 24, 2025, featured the fifth set of specially-abled students to pass through the training program.
Integrating the specially-abled into the workforce
A key ingredient of success of the project has been the comprehensive approach to integrating the specially-abled workers in Jewelex’s general workforce. Like at JOSH, to ease the process, the company employed sign language interpreters, developed training videos with picture-in-picture sign language translation, as well as adapting both the in-house training and work environment for greater accessibility, with curated programs for behavioral and soft-skills training.
Conducting peer sensitization workshops helped able-bodied colleagues understand the needs of specially-abled recruits, while special apprenticeships and seating arrangements helped the rookies to adjust during the first three months on the job.
“When you walk into our manufacturing units today, you don’t see labels — you see colleagues working together with pride. That is the kind of culture we are proud of,” says Dr. Jain.
Officials at JOSH and GJSCI highlight the crucial role that Jewelex played in developing the project and creating the entire support ecosystem.
Sanjay Varma, who oversees admissions at JOSH, adds that Jewelex and its HR team manage the entire onboarding process for specially-abled candidates, ensuring documentation and special requirements are addressed. Students also receive a regular stipend, supplemented by additional contributions from the company to meet their unique needs.
Beyond recruitment, Jewelex continues to support its specially abled employees through motivational talks, NGO partnerships, and financial support for medical consultations and treatments. Sensitization programs for security staff, housekeeping teams, heads of departments, and HR ensure inclusion are embedded across every layer of the company. The organization also extends its social initiatives to other fields, such as education, environment and health through partnerships with various NGOs across different parts of India.
“The establishment of JOSH has provided a major boost to our efforts and we are committed to increasing the recruitment and training of specially-abled persons in our company,” says Mr. Kothari.
His words are echoed by fellow Director Nilesh Kothari, who notes, “Even as we join the jewellery sector in embracing digital transformation and global competitiveness, Jewelex continues to nurture its greatest asset, its people, who come from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, talents and abilities.”
Workers on the job at a Jewelex manufacturing facility.