Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Russia-Ukraine war has adversely affected the livelihood of lakhs of workers of the diamond industry in Gujarat, especially in rural parts of Saurashtra region where many units import small-size diamonds from Russia for processing and polishing, according to industry representatives. India News | Gujarat s Diamond Industry Hit Hard by Russia-Ukraine War.
Ahmedabad, June 12 (PTI): The Russia-Ukraine war has adversely affected the livelihood of lakhs of workers of the diamond industry in Gujarat, especially in rural parts of Saurashtra region where many units import small-size diamonds from Russia for processing and polishing, according to industry representatives. The state’s diamond industry employs nearly 15 lakh workers, the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council’s regional chairman, Dinesh Navadiya, told PTI. Due to the shortage of supply of small-size rough diamonds from Russia, businessmen in Gujarat are forced to buy the raw material from African countries and other places, affecting their profits. Hence, the diamond units in the state have curtailed the working hours of their workers and polishers, thus impacting their livelihood, he said. The processing of big-size diamonds is mainly carried out at units in the state’s Surat city. The US, where 70 per cent of the cut and polished diamonds are exported fro