Till now, Surat has been the diamond manufacturing hub & Mumbai the export base. However, Gujarat's ease of doing business & lower costs, could make Surat Diamond Bourse a hub for both.
At least eight diamond workers in Surat have died by suicide in the past three months with about 15,000 laid off while the industry's losses have increased from 1% to 15-20% annually in the last five years.
Surat's diamond industry hit by global slowdown, unrest, and floods in Africa, from where raw diamonds are sourced. Workers union says 20% companies have halted operations.
With Covid cases & lockdown norms not letting diamond units work in full capacity, $24 bn industry is looking forward to Diwali season hoping for demand to pick up.
With global economy sinking, safety issues in operations and Covid-19 load, the Surat Diamond Association is focussing on migrants' return and not revival of the industry.
The closure of Argyle, best known as the source of about 90% of the world’s prized pink diamonds, could kick-start diamond prices that have waned since 2011.
Israel's response to Iran's retaliatory attack was relatively small and also downplayed by Tehran. But there are factors that could jeopardise this perceived reprieve.
The 125 APAs include 86 Unilateral APAs (UAPAs) and 39 Bilateral APAs (BAPAs). The total number of APAs since the start of the APA programme has risen to 641, with 506 UAPAs and 135 BAPAs.
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