₹21,188 crore (USD 2.89 billion) compared to the same month in pre-pandemic 2019, due to the disruptions caused by the second Covid wave across the country, according to the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC).In 2019, the overall gem and jewellery exports in May stood at ₹22,388 crore (USD 3.20 billion), according to the GJEPC data.
India's gem and jewellery exports in May 2021 slipped into negative territory due to the severe disruption in manufacturing activity caused by the outbreak of the second Covid wave across the country, the GJEPC said in a statement.The mix of partial and complete lockdowns in different states led to limitations on workforce capacities and related manufacturing activities, it added.