Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), in collaboration with Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), IIT Bombay, has launched the first edition of the JewelStart Industry Innovation Challenge 2026 aimed at bringing startup-led innovation into India’s gems and jewellery industry.
The national-level initiative invites startups, innovators and technology solution providers to address critical challenges across the jewellery value chain, including manufacturing, retail, supply chain, sustainability, automation, traceability, design and digital transformation.
Focus on AI, automation and sustainability
Launched under GJEPC’s JewelStart initiative, the programme aims to connect entrepreneurial innovation with real-world industry requirements.
Key focus areas include smart factory monitoring, precious metal inventory and capital optimisation, smart manufacturing automation, sustainable jewellery manufacturing, affordable jewellery prototyping and AI-led productivity and process enhancement.
Recognition and collaboration
Selected participants will receive industry recognition, expert evaluation, ecosystem validation and opportunities to explore pilot collaborations with leading stakeholders in the gems and jewellery sector.
The programme will also provide access to the innovation network and mentorship ecosystem of Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), IIT Bombay.
Platform to promote technology adoption
GJEPC said JewelStart was launched earlier this year as a dedicated innovation, incubation and acceleration platform for the gems and jewellery industry to encourage entrepreneurship, technology adoption and scalable business solutions.
The challenge is open to India-registered startups with validated prototypes, minimum viable products (MVPs), pilot-stage or market-ready solutions relevant to the gems and jewellery ecosystem.
Startups from adjacent sectors such as artificial intelligence, IoT, sustainability, logistics and fintech are also eligible if their technologies can be adapted for jewellery industry applications.
Applications for the JewelStart Industry Innovation Challenge 2026 are open till June 18.