PM informs about the commencement of the Surat Dubai flight and the soon-to-start flight to Hong Kong; India’s Share In Gems-Jewelry Export Can Be Double-Digit
PM Narendra Modi saw the architectural beauty of Surat Diamond Bourse, at its inauguration on December 17, 2023
FinTech BizNews Service
Mumbai, December 18, 2023: The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi inaugurated the
Surat Diamond Bourse today in Surat, Gujarat. Before the program, the Prime
Minister also visited Panchtatva Garden, viewed the Green Building of Surat
Diamond Bourse & SPINE-4, and signed the visitor booklet. Earlier in the day, the
Prime Minister had also inaugurated the new terminal building at Surat Airport.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister remarked that a new diamond has
been added to the magnificence of Surat city. “It is not an ordinary diamond, but the
best in the world”, Modi said underlining that the radiance of the Surat Diamond
Bourse is overshadowing the largest of edifices in the world. He credited the
humbleness of Vallabhbhai Lakhani and Laljibhai Patel and the spirit of taking
everyone along behind the success of such a huge mission as he congratulated the
entire team of Surat Diamond Bourse on the occasion. “Surat Diamond Bourse will
now come to the fore along with India’s pride during discussions about diamond
bourses in the world”, he emphasized. The Prime Minister said, “Surat Diamond
Bourse showcases the abilities of Indian designs, designers, materials and concepts.
This building is a symbol of New India’s capabilities and resolutions.”
Governor of Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel,
Union Ministers, Mansukh Mandaviya and Purshottam Rupala, Union Minister of
State, Smt Darshana Jardosh, Member of Parliament, C R Patil, Chairman of Surat
Diamond Bourse, Vallabhbhai Lakhani and Laljibhai Patel from Dharmanandan
Diamond Ltd were present on the occasion.
Architecture, Green Building
Modi congratulated the entire diamond industry, the people of Surat, Gujarat and
India on the inauguration of the Surat Diamond Bourse. Recalling his walkthrough of
the Surat Diamond Bourse earlier today, the Prime Minister highlighted the
architecture and mentioned the Green Building which can become an example for
environment advocates around the world, the overall architecture of the building
which can be used as a tool for learning by architecture and structural engineering
students, and the Panchtatva Garden which can be used as an example for a lesson
in landscaping.
Surat International airport
Talking about the two other gifts for Surat, the Prime Minister mentioned the
inauguration of a new airport terminal at Surat and the elevation of the status of
Surat Airport as an International airport. The gathering gave a standing ovation for
the fulfillment of this long pending demand. He informed about the commencement
of the Surat Dubai flight and the soon-to-start flight to Hong Kong. “With Surat,
Gujarat now boasts three international airports”, he added.
Throwing light on his personal connections and learning experiences with the city of
Surat, the Prime Minister mentioned the spirit of Sabka Saath Sabka Prayas. “The
soil of Surat differentiates it from the rest”, Modi said, noting that the cotton produced
in the region is unmatched. Highlighting Surat’s journey of highs and lows, the Prime
Minister stated that Surat’s magnificence attracted the British when they first came to
India. He recalled the time when Surat was the manufacturing hub of the largest
ships in the world and the port of Surat would hoist flags of ships from 84 countries.
“Now, that number will increase to 125”, he added.
One Of Top 10 Growing Cities In World
Throwing light on the hardships faced by the city, the Prime Minister mentioned
serious health ailments and floods and recalled how the spirit of the city was
questioned. The Prime Minister expressed confidence noting today’s occasion and
mentioned that Surat has become one of the top 10 growing cities in the world. He
highlighted Surat’s excellent street food, cleanliness and skill development. He
underlined that Surat which was known as the Sun City earlier, transformed itself into
Diamond City, Silk City and Bridge City through the hard work and dedication of its
people. “Today, Surat is the Dream City for lakhs of youth”, he exclaimed. He also
noted Surat’s stride in the IT sector and said that it is historic in itself for a modern
city like Surat to get such a magnificent building in the form of Diamond Bourse.
The Prime Minister said, “People of Surat know Modi’s guarantee for a very long
time.” He said that the diamond bourse is an example of Modi’s guarantee for the
people of Surat. Recalling his interaction with the people associated with the
diamond trade and the 2014 World Diamond Conference in Delhi, where special
notified zones for the diamond industry were announced, the Prime Minister said that
the journey has led to a big diamond center in the form of Surat Diamond Bourse,
making possible many aspects of diamond trade under one roof. “For artisan,
workman and businessman, for all, Surat Diamond Bourse has become a one-stop
shop”, he added. The Bourse will have facilities like international banking, safe vaults
and jewelry mall leading to 1.5 lakh new jobs, he informed.
Further dwelling on the capabilities of Surat, the Prime Minister mentioned India’s
stride from 10th to 5th place in the world economy. “Now Modi has given the
guarantee that, in the third innings, India will be among the top 3 economies of the
world”, he said. The government has a roadmap for the next 25 years and is working
on the goals of a 5 trillion dollar economy and a 10 trillion dollar economy, he added.
Mentioning the efforts to increase exports, the Prime Minister said that the country’s
diamond industry will have a big role to play. He asked the titans of industry to
explore ways of increasing Surat’s role in increasing the country’s exports. Stating
the leading position of India in diamond jewelry exports, silver cut diamonds and lab-
grown diamonds he pointed out that in overall global gems-jewelry exports, India’s
share is just 3.5 percent. “If Surat decides, then our share in gems-jewelry export
can touch double-digit”, the Prime Minister said, reiterating the government's support
for the sector. He mentioned measures like declaring the sector as a focus area for
export promotion, promotion of patented design, diversification of export products,
collaboration for better technology, promotion of lab-grown or green diamonds and
special provisions for green diamonds in the budget. He expressed confidence that
the sector is bound to get benefitted from the positive global outlook towards India
and the growing stature of ‘Make in India’ brand.
The Prime Minister said that the government is increasing the capacity of Surat to
further the potential of the people by giving special emphasis on building modern
infrastructure in the city. Highlighting Surat’s connectivity, Modi mentioned Surat
International Airport, Metro Rail service, and Surat’s Ports including Hazira Port,
deep water LNG terminal and multi-cargo port. “Surat is continuously connecting with
international trade centers. Very few cities in the world have such international
connectivity”, he added. He also mentioned Surat’s connectivity with the Bullet Train
Project and the ongoing work on the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor which will
strengthen rail connectivity of Surat to Northern and Eastern India. Delhi-Mumbai
Expressway is also going to provide new opportunities to the business of Surat. The
Prime Minister urged everyone to take maximum advantage of the city’s modern
connectivity and said, “If Surat moves forward, Gujarat will move forward. If Gujarat
moves forward then the country will move forward.” Concluding the address, the
Prime Minister also conveyed his best wishes for the Vibrant Gujarat Summit
scheduled for next month
Background
Surat Diamond Bourse will be the World’s largest and most modern center for
international diamond and jewelry business. It will be a global center for trading of
both rough and polished diamonds as well as jewelry. Bourse will comprise state-of-
the-art ‘Customs Clearance House’ for Import – Export; a Jewelry mall for retail
jewelry business and a facility for International Banking and Safe Vaults.
Surat Diamond Bourse Receives IGBC’s Platinum Green Building Certification
The Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB) received the prestigious Platinum Certification under the
CII’s Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) GREEN New Buildings Rating System. Surat
Diamond Bourse becomes the world’s largest office building project to receive this accolade.
The IGBC Platinum award and certification were received by Shri Nagjibhai Sakariya,
President, Surat Diamond Bourse, Shri Asheshbhai Doshi, Vice President, Surat Diamond
Bourse and Shri Laljibhai Patel, Director, Surat Diamond Bourse in the presence of Mr
Anand Desai, Past Chairman, CII – Gujarat, Mr. Niraj Viradiya, Chairman, IGBC Surat
Chapter, Mr. M Anand, Deputy Executive Director, IGBC, and Mr. Himanshu Shah, Deputy
Director, IGBC.
Receiving the IGBC award and certification at their office in Surat, Gujarat, Shri Nagjibhai
Sakariya, President, Surat Diamond Bourse, said “ This collaboration with IGBC is a
testament to our commitment to work collaboratively on helping us take a step towards
India’s mission to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2070. We are excited about the journey ahead
as we collectively strive to achieve Net Zero in the Diamond Industry, spread awareness
among other traders and enhance our workforce’s wellbeing.”
Mr. Anand Desai, Past Chairman, CII said “I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the Surat
Diamond Bourse for their exemplary commitment to building a truly end-to-end sustainable
World Class Green structure. SDB’s achievement of the Platinum rating exemplifies a
significant step towards sustainable practices in the diamond industry. We are delighted to
collaborate with SDB in their pursuit of Net Zero Carbon, and we believe this partnership
will contribute significantly to advancing sustainable standards within the industry. This
IGBC rating and office complex with green features makes the diamond industry operating
out of SDB, a pioneering leader with a green commitment towards India Net Zero Carbon
emitter by 2070.”
As part of the felicitation, SDB also announces a strategic partnership with the IGBC that
transcends certification to signal a deeper commitment to sustainability in the diamond
industry.
Mr. Niraj Viradiya, Chairman, IGBC Surat Chapter, stated “It is indeed a commendable
initiative by Surat Diamond Bourse, and we are truly delighted to be a part of this remarkable
journey. I am confident that Surat Diamond Bourse will continue its stride of promoting
sustainable development and contribute significantly to the increase in the green footprint of
the diamond industry across the country.”
Surat Diamond Bourse - Key Features
• Radiant cooling systems in the Surat Diamond Bourse as a passive measure to reduce
energy consumption in the building.
• More than 36% i.e., 53,000 sqm of total site area covered with vegetation.
• 100% runoff i.e., 2000 cum of rainwater harvested through rainwater harvesting tanks.
• More than 35% water savings through low flow fixtures.
• Native species and highly efficient irrigation systems to reduce water consumption in the
building.
• 100% wastewater treated in STO of 1800KLD capacity and reused for flushing, irrigation,
and landscape water consumption.
• 500 KW solar PV installed to cater 13.98% of total annual lighting energy consumption.
• 100% of organic waste generated in the project treated in OWC of 16000 kg capacity.
• More than 90% of the regularly occupied spaces of the project buildings achieve daylight.
• 18.5% of concrete and 38% of steel requirement reduced by implementing post tensioned
slab.
About the Indian Green Building Council: IGBC was established by the Confederation of
Indian Industry (CII) in 2001 to actively promote the Green Building concept in India. The
council is represented by all stakeholders of the construction industry comprising corporate,
government, and nodal agencies, architects, product manufacturers, institutions, and more.
The council also closely works with governments, the World Green Building Council, and
bilateral and multilateral agencies in promoting green building concepts in India. With a
Green Building footprint of 10.42 billion sq ft, and with over 11,586+ projects adopting
IGBC’s 32 rating systems, the Green Building movement in India has been advancing at a
rapid pace and transforming India, into one of the global leaders in green built environment.
