GJEPC asks banks to adopt its KYC databank to finance diamond trade

Mumbai: Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), a nodal trade body sponsored by the commerce ministry, is pursuing banks to adopt its online know your-customer databank of 2,500 exporters as a means to mitigate risk and improve lenders’ perception of the trade rocked by the Rs 13,600-crore Nirav Modi-Mehul Choksi PNB scam. The matter came up at a recent meeting of the SBI-led coordination committee for financing the gem and jewellery trade set up by the commerce ministry, said a GJEPC official. The committee also has officials from the finance ministry, RBI and banks to consider and resolve issues faced by the trade and its lenders.


The MyKYCBank set up by GJEPC more than a year ago has details about a company’s incorporation, its tax or legal identity like Pan card, GST certificate, bank account details, details of directors, proprietors, partners or ultimate beneficiary owners supported by Pan, Aadhaar card or passport, among others. It also culls news appearing about its members on a daily basis giving banks more teeth to disburse, withhold or withdraw credit to existing or prospective customers.


“MyKYCBank is like the Aadhaar card for our industry and gives banks all the information about identity of the company and the person they are funding,” said Colin Shah, vice-chairman, GJEPC. Shah expects banks to commence using the online databank, which is free for them and “updated constantly”, in the “next quarter or so”.