How declining demand for natural diamonds is changing the dynamics of Surat

Lab diamonds are new sparklers on the block

Standing under a Peepal tree in a bylane of Katargam, a suburb in Surat that houses several diamond cutting and polishing units, 24-year-old Arun Chotaliya (name changed) from Junagadh is lost in thought. He is planning his trip back home for Diwali. But this year, his Diwali will be lacklustre. Not only is he returning home with less money, he is also not sure when he can come back to work after the festivities end.  

Chotaliya earns around Rs 25,000 a month when he has enough work. But in the last three months he has managed to make just Rs