Surat — famous for diamond cutting and polishing, and now lab-grown diamonds

The story

Surat's diamond trade grew from small family workshops in the Varachha and Katargam areas, run mostly by migrants from Saurashtra who passed the skill to relatives. Rough stones arrive through Mumbai and Antwerp, and Surat's large, skilled workforce polishes even very small stones at low cost. The city later added machine cutting, lasers and lab-grown diamond growing, and in 2023 opened the Surat Diamond Bourse as a trading hub next to the factories.

In numbers

The district processes 10 out of 12 varieties of diamonds in the world, worth about Rs 45,000 crore, roughly 65% of India's diamond exports (district profile, c. 2012).
Brief Industrial Profile of Surat District (MSME-DI Ahmedabad, Ministry of MSME) · 2012
The Surat Diamond Bourse was inaugurated on 17 December 2023, with space for nearly 4,500 diamond trading offices.
PM Modi inaugurates Surat Diamond Bourse, world's largest office building (WION) · 2023
Ongoing MSE-CDP common facility centres in the district include a Diamond Cutting & Polishing Cluster at Varachha and a Lab Grown Diamond Cluster, Surat (list updated March 2024).
Ongoing Common Facility Centres under MSE-CDP, updated 20.03.2024 (DC-MSME) · 2024

GI tag

Surat Cut DiamondApplication no. GI Application No. 1388Registration details of Geographical Indications (GI Registry, IP India)

Ways in for a newcomer

Job-work polishing for larger exporters
Lab-grown diamond growing, cutting or certification support
Jewellery manufacturing using Surat-cut stones
Tool, laser-machine servicing and consumables supply

Problems the cluster faces

Demand for natural diamonds swings with US and China markets
Price fall and competition in lab-grown diamonds
Workers losing jobs in downturns
Dependence on imported rough

Businesses to start here

Gem Cutting and Polishing →Handicraft Jewellery Unit →Gold Plating of Optical Frames and Jewellery (Job Work) →

Sources (4)