Sri Lanka’s gem and jewellery industry has over USD 3 Billion export potential – Chathuranga
Sri Lanka’s gem and jewellery industry has short-term export potential exceeding USD 3 billion, Deputy Minister of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development Chathuranga Abeysinghe says.
Abeysinghe made the remarks while attending the “Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery Research Symposium 2026” as the chief guest at the Silver Ray Hotel in Ratnapura yesterday (September 2).
He said Sri Lanka’s gem and jewellery sector had previously operated in a scattered manner, with different parts of the industry working separately from one another.
According to the Deputy Minister, one of the government’s main objectives over the past two years has been to bring the entire value chain onto a single platform.
This includes gem mining, cutting and polishing, trading, universities and technological research.
Abeysinghe said efforts are also underway to ensure that knowledge and discoveries produced by universities and researchers are not limited to research papers, but are turned into practical solutions and achievements within the gem and jewellery industry.
He outlined several measures being taken towards making Sri Lanka a global gem hub.
Among them is the removal of legal, financial and tax-related barriers affecting businesses in the sector.
The Deputy Minister said barriers affecting gem cutting and polishing, as well as the sourcing of rough gems required by the industry, have already been removed.
He said these measures have helped the sector generate around USD 236 million in export revenue so far this year.
Another major initiative is the development of “Gem Tourism” by linking Sri Lanka’s gem industry with the tourism sector.
With the support of the Ministry of Tourism, plans are underway to develop Ratnapura into one of the world’s leading gem trading and tourism centres by building on the area’s historic gem heritage and traditional expertise.
Abeysinghe also said approval has been granted for the construction of a major gem and jewellery centre in the Kollupitiya area.
The proposed centre is expected to bring all relevant government institutions, which are currently operating from different locations, under one roof.
It is also intended to provide a single location where people from Sri Lanka and overseas can study the gem and jewellery sector and conduct business.
The symposium was also attended by Member of Parliament Dr. Janaka Senarathna, Secretary to the Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development J.M. Thilaka Jayasundara, Chairman of the Gem and Jewellery Research and Training Institute Professor G.W.A. Rohan Fernando and Chairman and CEO of the National Gem and Jewellery Authority Dr. S.P. Chaminda.
Dr. Richard W. Hughes, co-founder and chairman of Thailand-based Lotus Gemology, as well as a number of local and international experts, university professors and government officials, also participated in the event.
