Revealing the Jury panel of Retail Jewellers Guild Awards

Alefia Kapadia is an inspirational personality, who has been felicitated for her work as an actor and model for over two decades.

She has portrayed lead roles in TV & films and worked with Imtiaz Ali, Anubhav Sinha, Remo Fernandes, Sooraj Barjatya, and Rajkumar Hirani, Ekta Kapoor to name a few.

As a Wellness coach, she conducts ‘grooming and styling’ workshops, empowering women with self-awareness and confidence.

As a certified Lifecoach and non-duality speaker, her mission is to help earnest seekers awaken to their true nature and manifest the life of their dreams.

She loves riding the motorcycle and has completed a biking expedition to Ladakh covering over 3000 km.

A fitness enthusiast with a keenness for a healthy lifestyle is what keeps her superfit.

Apoorva Deshingkar leads GIA India’s Education and Market Development verticals in the Institute’s endeavour to fulfil its consumer-protection mission. He has over 30 years of experience across varied industries and has led assignments at different stages in an organisation’s business-cycle.

Navin Sadarangani, Founder Owner of NYUZ (www.nyuz.com) has spent more than 3 decades in the jewellery industry, of which the first 13 years were with the Rosy Blue Group owned Intergold. From handling International Sales of Japan in SEEPZ, to helping to set up the country’s first platinum jewellery factory, later moving out as Core Team to set up Intergold in Retail (now Orra), and then Hammer Plus Jewellery for wholesale domestic distribution, he has forayed across all the facets of the industry. This experience is what made good his stand to start NYUZ-a Coaching and Consultancy Company for Jewellery Retail.

He is also Co-Founder of Association of Trainers, Founder of The Jewellery Ivangelyst– A jewellers learning platform and also Co-owner/CEO of a celeb cricket team that played at BCL called Pune Anmol Ratn. In the jewellery retail industry, Navin is looked upon as a Business & Brand builder as he goes about creating retail transformation through enhancement of people and processes.

Neeita Bhonsle is a high end jewellery designer with 34 years of experience, during which she has been felicitated with 4 international awards and twice scholarships to all over Europe by DeBeers. Having worked for prestigious brands like World Gold Council and Platinum Guild International (PGI) . She was the first designer to design jewellry watches for Tanishq afted being trained in Paris. With her exposure to international manufacturing techniques from her stints abroad in London, Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Paris. She is an artist truly where talent meets technology. She also ran a jewellery designing academy for 25 years that produced 18 award winning students who are doing very well established in india and abroad. Her designing skills have evolved in such a way that her various collections based on diffefent well reasearched themes have created a lot of excitement internationally making her a trendsetter with global appeal. With her unique blend of expertise in jewellery designing and manufacturing she will play a pivotal part in judging and honouring the best artistic talent.

Nirupa Bhatt, a returning judge of Retail Jewellers Guild Award 2024, has over 35 years of experience in the jewellery and gemstone industry. She spent 20 years leading Rio Tinto Diamonds India office before joining GIA as Managing Director in 2008. During her tenure, she was entrusted with establishing GIA’s grading and education facilities in India and the Middle East. Bhatt also founded the India chapter of the Women’s Jewellery Association (WJA). Recognised for her contribution to the Indian gemstone and jewellery industry and in-depth understanding of the global diamond value chain, she is currently a Consultant, Business Leadership Coach & Independent Director.

Ruchi Abbi Noronha is a seasoned Design-Merchandiser with 25 years of expertise in international fine jewelry. She consults for manufacturers serving major retailers and clubs across the USA, Europe, Canada, Dubai, Japan, and India, crafting innovative designs for both mass market and high-end brands. Additionally, as a visiting faculty member at GIA, she shares her insights on merchandising and market trends. Her education from NIFT Delhi complements her experience, enabling her to blend creative vision with technical precision.

Vrinda Arora is fiercely passionate about the jewelry industry. Her mix of abilities to curate and be a critique in the business and this passion for the finer things in life is perhaps unsurprising.

She has always been fascinated by jewelry and she believes it is attached to how people have a constant motivation to look for something better. The notion of pleasure, beauty, and excellence is behind every luxury product.

She leads the house ‘S Factor’ with a determination to be different and value creation, which is a key in the Jewelry world. Meaning to grow an emotional bond with the consumer and be there as a personal shopper for them.

In her head, it is about making it small but significant, and her process at the S factor is deeply rooted in her worldview, in general, to take a moment to be still and to find inspiration in the tiniest things.

The constructive force at the helm of this brand, her vision is to be a global player in the market and always be open and versatile in the brand’s ideas. She has been an integral part of the Jewelry Industry for 11 years and has organized various mainstream trade events. Her will to be unconventional resulted in collaboration with top Jewelry Manufacturers and Retailers across India. As a professional, she gained insights and forged connections with the best of the best who are already well established and the most promising and upcoming stars in the future.