Mumbai, Sept. 20 -- Come September-end, Zaveri Bazaar, home to some of the largest jewellery manufacturers and wholesalers in the country, will host a month-long jewellery festival which will draw more than 50,000 visitors and generate business worth nearly Rs.3 lakh crore. Organised by the Zaveri Bazaar Welfare Association (ZBWA) in collaboration with the state government, the Maharashtra tourism board and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the Zaveri Bazaar Gems & Jewellery Festival (ZBF 2025) will reshape India's jewellery trade ecosystem and align it with the country's broader vision of becoming a globally competitive, business-friendly economy, the organisers told Hindustan Times. "We have been working on this initiative for five years with the aim of reviving the legacy of Zaveri Bazaar," said Hitesh (Subhash) Jain, chairman, ZBWA. "Through this festival, we hope to not only promote our jewellery but also expand our reach to international markets. In due course, we hope to transform it into the Jewellery Festival of India." The festival, to be held from September 22 till October 26, will aid Maharashtra's pursuit of becoming a $1 trillion economy, said Sanjay Ingale, assistant commissioner (in charge), C ward. "With a strong focus on infrastructure, innovation, and industrial growth, Maharashtra has positioned itself as the engine of India's economic rise. This jewellery festival will play a critical role in this narrative, reviving the historic commercial heart of Mumbai, Zaveri Bazaar, while also becoming a major driver of foreign exchange and private investment," Ingale told HT. The main exhibition, from October 6 till October 16, will cover all major segments of the jewellery industry, including gold, silver, diamonds, and gemstones. It will be inaugurated by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, said Jain, the ZBWA chairman. "Just like Dubai has its Gold Souk Festival and Hong Kong has its Jewellery Festival, Zaveri Bazaar is India's largest jewellery hub and deserves recognition on a global stage. We aim to showcase this legacy to the world," he said. The festival is likely to draw around 300 international delegates from countries like the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, alongside more than 10,000 domestic wholesalers and 7,000 domestic retailers. It will encourage structured business-to-business interactions, support export-ready platforms for medium and small enterprises, and foster a compliant and transparent environment that benefits both domestic players and international stakeholders, the organisers said. Twenty-nine illuminated thematic gates inspired by the Ayodhya Ram Mandir will be erected in Zaveri Bazaar, with the main decorative gate being set up at Dagina Bazaar near the Mumbadevi Temple, the organisers added....