The offer is available to first-time visitors who go on to make a diamond purchase of more than $100,000. The flight reimbursement is in addition to the usual offer of 150 complementary hotel rooms for foreign buyers, given to members of bourses affiliated with the World Federation of Diamond Bourses.
Mehul Shah, vice-president of BDW organisers Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB), said, “It is very important for us at the BDB to see new faces here for this special polished diamond sales week.
“Unusual as it may sound, there are diamantaires who have never been to the Indian diamond centre and may not be aware of the vast range of polished goods that can be sourced from both the exhibitors of the BDW and our more than 3,000 member companies at the exchange.”
BDW has a strict one-company, one-booth policy and synthetic diamonds are banned. Stephane Fischler, chairman World Diamond Council, threw his support behind the event, saying, “Congratulations to the Bharat Diamond Bourse on its important initiative to give much needed space and exposure to the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to showcase their unique vitality, skills and position within the diamond supply chain. The SME members of the industry must retain and strengthen their vital role in our industry.”
Meanwhile Jean-Marc Lieberherr, CEO of the Diamond Producers Association, added, “I compliment the BDB team for this initiative… SMEs are the lifeblood of this industry.”
He added: “The Bharat Diamond Week is an important initiative in support of natural diamonds, which will help the whole business move forward.”
Lending even more support to the Indian diamond industry’s SMEs is the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), which is holding its India Diamond Week Buyer-Seller Meet on 15–17 October, also in Mumbai.
Shah said the coinciding events “will create a great deal of excitement and many business opportunities,” adding that GJEPC guests would be welcome at BDW.
Anoop Mehta, BDB president, added, “The BDB and the GJEPC are the two largest and more important organisations representing our trade in India and promoting it abroad. I am very happy these two events will be taking place during the same week.”
Registrations for this edition of Bharat Diamond Week have already exceeded the previous two shows.
Thai gem and jewellery associations and the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE) have shown strong support for Bharat Diamond Week following visits from BDB leadership over the last two months.
Lin Qiang, president SDE, will be guest of honour at Bharat Diamond Week and said, “Bharat Diamond Week is one of the major events for the midstream in our industry this year and also the last chance to stock up on inventory before the holiday season.
“India is the world’s largest and most important manufacturing centre of diamonds. About 92 per cent of polished diamonds come from India and the BDB is the largest diamond bourse in the world, and the leading power in the global industry with an incomparably wide range of products as well as extensive trading networks,” he added.
Registrations for Bharat Diamond Week are still open.
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