A senior delegation from Rio Tinto’s diamonds business has highlighted its commitment to the Indian diamond industry in a number of events in the Indian state of Gujarat.
Mr Bruce Cox, Managing Director of Rio Tinto Diamonds, congratulated diamond manufacturer, K.P. Sanghvi, on the opening of the first women’s only cutting and polishing factory in Ahmedabad,
“We are delighted to see this initiative unfold, specifically for the empowerment of women in this region, and generally to ensure that there is a vibrant manufacturing centre capable of absorbing future production. The value addition undertaken here is critical to the successful distribution of our diamonds through the pipeline”.
Currently employing 17 female trainees, the K.P. Sanghvi factory will grow to 100 female trainees over the next six months. Rio Tinto is also collaborating on other initiatives to raise workplace health and safety in Gujarat, the heartland of the Indian diamond manufacturing industry.
Mr Cox also took the opportunity to update diamond workers in Surat, Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad on the status of its key diamond mining projects -the Argyle underground project, the Diavik diamond mine in Canada and the developing diamond mine at its Bunder Project in Madhya Pradesh. He was also able to provide an update of the Nazraana initiative, a unique market development programme aimed at providing affordable diamond jewellery gifts for Indian weddings and other occasions. There has been strong Indian retailer support for the Nazraana and 2012 will see this programme extended significantly to increase its visibility and reach in India.
“We have great confidence in the future of the Indian diamond industry, as witnessed by our substantial investments here in India, and I am looking forward to being able to mine, manufacture and market Indian diamonds.”
