In Surat, the Airport Authority of India (AAI) plans to set up a strong room facility for valuable cargo like diamonds, gems and jewellery and gold at the city’s airport. The diamantaires have been demanding international air connectivity and cargo handling facilities at Surat airport for the past few years.
Last year, the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) urged the Central and State governments to provide international air connectivity to facilitate direct import and export of precious stones from Surat. Being the biggest diamond cutting and polishing centre of the world where nine out of 12 diamonds are processed, Surat imports rough diamonds worth Rs 50,000 crore and exports polished diamonds worth Rs 75,000 crore per annum via Mumbai.
As there is no domestic air connectivity between Surat and Mumbai, precious stone parcels – rough and polished diamonds – are sent to Mumbai by the ‘angadias’ (diamond courier firms) via trains and the valuable cargo shipment services.
Dinesh Navadia, president, Surat Diamond Association (SDA) said that Surat has the potential to become the diamond trading hub provided Surat airport is equipped with international air connectivity and cargo handling facilities. We are happy that AAI wants to set up a strong room facility for handling valuable goods. This would help the diamantaires to have direct access to polished and rough diamonds at their doorsteps.
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