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For the third time, India will chair the Kimberley Process (KP), a global initiative to remove conflict diamonds from the global supply chain, from January 1 next year, the Commerce Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. KP is a joint initiative of different countries, industry and civil societies to control the flow of conflict diamonds, which are used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments in the world. India is a global player in diamond cutting and polishing. As defined in United Nations Security Council resolutions, conflict diamonds are rough diamonds used by rebel groups or their allies to finance conflicts that undermine legitimate governments in the world. "India will take over as KP Vice Chair from December 25, 2025, before assuming the chairmanship in the new year. This will be the third time India has been entrusted with the chair of the Kimberley Process," the ministry said. During its tenure, India will focus on strengthening governance
A woman labourer has found eight diamonds, which could fetch her lakhs of rupees, at a mine in Madhya Pradesh's Panna district, an official said on Saturday. Rachna Goldar, a local resident in her 50s, found eight precious stones with a total weight of 2.53 carats, six of which are of high quality, the official said. Diamond expert Anupam Singh said, "The biggest diamond weighs 0.79 carat. Besides, two stones are off-colour." He said Goldar deposited the stones at the district diamond office, from where they will be put up for auction, and are likely to be worth several lakh rupees. Goldar, mother to three grown-up children, had taken a mining lease in the Hazara Mudda area and found the stones while digging. She expressed hope that the auction proceeds would improve her financial condition. In Panna, an eight-metre mining plot is leased for Rs 200 annually. Diamond auctions are held every three months with traders from across the country participating. The final auction price i
India's smartphone exports surged nearly fivefold to the US and about fourfold to Japan in the past three years, propelling the segment to surpass petroleum products and diamonds as the country's top exported goods, according to government data. The smartphone exports rose by 55 per cent to USD 24.14 billion in 2024-25 from USD 15.57 billion in 2023-24 and USD 10.96 billion in 2022-23. In the last fiscal, the top five nations where India registered the highest growth in smartphone exports were the US, the Netherlands, Italy, Japan, and Czech Republic. Exports to the US alone rose from USD 2.16 billion in 2022-23 to USD 5.57 billion in 2023-24 and USD 10.6 billion in 2024-25. A significant export growth has also been registered with Japan where shipments surged from USD 120 million in 2022-23 to USD 520 million in FY25. "This rapid ascent has propelled smartphones to become one of India's top exported goods, overtaking traditional leaders like petroleum products and diamonds for t
Prices of art declined maximum by 18.3 per cent annually during the last year among top 10 popular investments of passion while rates of wine and rare whisky fell by 9 per cent each, according to Knight Frank. On Wednesday, global property consultant Knight Frank released its 'The Wealth Report 2025'. In a statement, the consultant said that Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index (KFLII), which tracks the performance of 10 popular investments of passion, revealed that only five out of the ten collectibles managed growth in 2024. Handbags were the best performing luxury asset class with prices rising 2.8 per cent in 2024, followed by jewellery 2.3 per cent, coins 2.1 per cent, watches 1.7 per cent and classic cars 1.2 per cent. "The weakest sectors were fine art, wine and whisky. Art was down 18.3 per cent, with the market seeing a total reversal from the double-digit growth of 2023 and a worse performance than during the COVID-19 crisis when values fell 17 per cent," Knight Frank ...
Leading lab-grown diamond brand Solitario Lab Grown has raised USD 3.6 million in a pre-IPO funding round. The funding round attracted notable investors including Neeraj Gupta (Founder of Meru Cabs), Mauritius-based FPI Investi Global, Vicco Group, and Seema Manish Nuwal (Promoter, Solar Industries), along with several ultra-high-net-worth individuals including Amit Agarwal, Rajesh Singla, Garima Theti, and Sandeep Singh, a company statement said on Tuesday. Co-founded by jewellery industry veteran Ricky Vasandani, and Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, Solitario crafts sustainable, eco-conscious diamond jewellery including necklaces, rings, earrings, bracelets, and pendants. "The newly raised capital will be used to expand Solitario's retail network both domestically and internationally, enter new geographical markets, enhance branding and marketing initiatives, broaden its product portfolio, and strengthen its manufacturing capabilities," Co-founder Vivek Oberoi, said. The company has
Fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi, the prime accused in the PNB loan fraud case, is currently in Belgium for medical treatment of suspected cancer, a special court here was told on Tuesday. Advocate Vijay Agarwal, who appeared on behalf of Choksi, told the court that he wants to file an application to bring on record certain health issues of Choksi "who is at present in Belgium for medical treatment". Agarwal informed the court that Choksi is suspected to be suffering from cancer. A special PMLA court in Mumbai is hearing the Enforcement Directorate's plea to declare Choksi a fugitive economic offender (FEO). The FEO declaration allows the government to initiate action to confiscate the offender's properties. Choksi, his nephew and fugitive diamond trader Nirav Modi and their family members, employees, bank officials and others were booked by the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2018 for allegedly perpetrating the alleged loan fraud at th