On January 20th, the Hon’ble Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, met with a delegation from the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), led by President Isidore Morsel, in Brussels, as well as important diamond industry stakeholders.
Shri Sabyasachi Ray, Executive Director of GJEPC, and Shri Anoop Mehta, President of Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB), both represented India’s diamond community, were also in attendance.
During the conversations, Shri Goyal emphasized India’s commitment to safeguarding small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) and individual players in the diamond industry.
Shri Goyal wrote: “We conveyed India’s stand on safeguarding the interests of its SMEs and individuals in the diamond industry.”
The panel also discussed the issues presented by the change to technology-based certification. Shri Goyal emphasized continued efforts to gain an extension to the implementation deadline.
The Hon’ble Commerce & Industry Minister stated, “We debated on the status of the request presented to the Trade Commissioner to extend the deadline for technology-based certification. Tech-based certification is critical for assisting Indian small enterprises and protecting consumer interests in the diamond industry.”