Madhya Pradesh eyes Surat’s diamond business.

SURAT: After Gir lions, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan is eyeing the world's biggest diamond cutting and polishing centre in Surat.

A high-level delegation from MP led by the CM would be touring Surat's diamond industry in the second week of June. Chauhan, according to industry sources, will be meeting the diamond barons to invite them to set up diamond manufacturing units in Indore.

Chauhan is looking at the diamond beneficiation with the Chhatrapur district turning out to be the diamond bowl of the country after the Rio Tinto's Bunder diamond mine project becomes operational in 2017. The mine—the first diamond discovery in India for over 40 years and one of the only four new diamond mines likely to become functional globally in the next one decade—has a production capacity of about 27 million carats.

Industry sources said that the global diamond mining giant has invited over $500 million in the Bunder mine project and that the MP government is likely to provide the mining license by 2015.

Chauhan's plan to visit to the diamond city comes on the heels of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar successfully luring a Mumbai-based and one of world's top five diamond companies to set up a unit in Patna two weeks ago. Shrenuj and Company Limited has set up a diamond manufacturing unit in Patna employing around 150 Bihari diamond workers in its factory based in Surat.

Industry sources said that the Chauhan had sent an official letter informing the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) to organize his visit to the diamond hub.

Chandrakant Sanghavi, regional chairman, GJEPC said, "I have received a communication from the GJEPC Mumbai about the visit of Madhya Pradesh CM in Surat. He wants to understand the Surat diamond industry and meet the diamantaires. The visit is likely in the second week of June."

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com