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Direct Diamond Trade in Focus as Botswana President Applauds GJEPC’s White Paper

GJEPC’s policy roadmap gains international support as Botswana backs efforts to strengthen global diamond trade practices.

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Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, visited Botswana on a State Visit from 11 to 14 November 2025. The Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), representing India’s diamond sector, joined the Indian delegation along with South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) at the invitation of the Government of Botswana

During the visit, GJEPC presented its White Paper titled ‘Strengthening India-Botswana Diamond Partnership’ to His Excellency President Duma Gideon Boko. The document was formally handed over by Jayanti Savaliya, Regional Chairman – Gujarat, GJEPC.

The discussions centred on creating a more direct and efficient diamond trade pathway between India and Botswana. At present, Botswana-origin rough diamonds reach India through multiple intermediary hubs, raising costs, restricting access for MSMEs, and adding unnecessary logistical steps. The White Paper outlines a practical route to build a direct trade channel that strengthens both economies.

President Boko went through the report during the meeting and expressed appreciation for its clarity and forward-looking approach. He noted that the study shows “India is thinking positively for Botswana”, and thanked GJEPC for offering a workable roadmap for building a direct link with India’s diamond industry.

Botswana-based mining companies described the paper as revealing, highlighting its insights on direct supply, MSME access, and future cooperation through the Special Notified Zones (SNZ) in Surat and Mumbai, as well as GJEPC’s Special Materials Distribution Organization (SMDO).

Following the meeting, President Boko invited the Indian delegation to the Presidential dinner hosted in honour of President Murmu. He later held a separate meeting with the delegation, joined by his full ministerial team, underscoring Botswana’s strong interest in advancing structured cooperation with India’s diamond sector.

During the visit, the Indian delegation also proposed positioning Gaborone and Surat as twin cities focused on diamond-sector collaboration.

Jayanti Savaliya, Regional Chairman – Gujarat, GJEPC, said, “It was a privilege to present this White Paper during President Murmu’s historic visit and share India’s perspective on building a direct and efficient diamond corridor between Botswana and Surat.”

Julius Tsheko, Regional Director, Botswana Investment and Trade Centre, New Delhi, said, “Our team was pleased with the high-level Indian delegation that visited Botswana during the first-ever State Visit of an Indian Head of State. President Boko believes India has the capability to invest in Botswana and shape its economic future. We look forward to working together to turn these opportunities into reality.”

Nikhil Madrasi, President, SGCCI, added, “Botswana and India share a common vision of sustainable growth and economic partnership. Beyond diamonds, there is strong potential for trade in textiles, engineering, technology and services. Strengthening ties with Botswana will support greater business exchanges, innovation and cultural understanding.”

The encouraging response to the White Paper, combined with the ministerial-level discussions and interest in the Gaborone–Surat twin city idea, signals fresh momentum for a stable, transparent and mutually supportive India–Botswana diamond trade framework.

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DiamondBuzz

De Beers Group Sets Out Portfolio and Organisational Actions to Support Long-Term Value Creation

Company outlines strategic cost optimisation, portfolio streamlining and operational changes to strengthen resilience while positioning for long-term growth in the natural diamond industry.

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De Beers Group is advancing delivery of its business streamlining by setting out a number of planned portfolio and organisational changes to ensure an efficient cost base that strengthens resilience in the near-term while enhancing future competitiveness and retaining optionality as industry conditions improve.

Since 2024, De Beers has been streamlining its business in line with its Origins strategy to reduce costs, divest non-core assets and prioritise investment in activities that create the most value. Significant progress has been made, with more than $100 million of annual overhead costs removed from the business, the sale or closure of a number of non-core assets and significant capital and cost reconfigurations to asset expansion projects.

Simultaneously, De Beers has reinvested in natural diamond category marketing to support the industry’s efforts to grow natural diamond demand, launching new large-scale campaigns and collaborating with key stakeholders across the value chain to foster industry-wide investment. Global consumer demand for natural diamond jewellery returned to growth in 2025, while natural diamond sales increased across US independent jewellers in 2025 and into Q1 2026, led by higher value diamonds and those promoted by De Beers’ Desert Diamonds marketing campaign.

On the supply side, global rough diamond production is now decreasing, with several producers closing mines during 2026. Whilst the increasing rarity of diamonds and the emerging signs of improvement in consumer demand are likely to support longer-term value creation, rough diamond trading conditions are expected to remain challenging in the near-term due to cyclical and industry-specific factors.

Consistent with recent actions to improve business resilience, De Beers intends to pause production at the Venetia mine in South Africa for two years to reduce costs while also rephasing capital expenditure on its underground project. This will involve critical infrastructure investment to enhance the capacity and efficiency of the mine, with the intention to support future production growth as business and industry conditions improve.

De Beers is engaging with stakeholders in accordance with relevant requirements and the company’s values as it moves through this process, and will both support impacted employees and continue to invest in its community and Social and Labour Plan commitments.

This proposed action at Venetia Mine follows the decision earlier this year to pause the Tuzo Phase 3 expansion project at the Gahcho Kué Mine in Canada.

In parallel, De Beers plans to reconfigure its global operating model to refocus and prioritise resources on the core operational businesses and reduce its central corporate cost base.

Al Cook, CEO of De Beers Group, said:

“In line with our commitment to focus and streamline our business, we are making a number of changes to De Beers to ensure greater business resilience in the near-term, while supporting long-term value creation. We recognise the protracted challenging conditions as the diamond industry evolves, though we are encouraged by signs of consumer demand growth in the US and beyond, particularly in higher quality diamonds.

Global rough diamond supply is falling, bringing more support to the market. The changes we are making to our business are focused on underpinning our efficiency now and into the future, favourably positioning De Beers in its leadership role.”

De Beers Group will maintain current production levels through its other operations, and previous production guidance remains unchanged.

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