Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB), an impressive complex consisting of nine 15-story towers, has officially been recognized by Guinness World Records “as the largest office building in existence,” according to IDEX Online.
With floor space of over 7.1 million square feet, SDB surpasses even the Pentagon, which has just over 6.6 million square feet. Constructed at a cost of $388 million, the inauguration of SDB is scheduled for December or January, officiated by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The first businesses are set to move into the bourse, located in south Surat, in November.
In other, less sunny news related to the Indian diamond industry, new numbers from the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) show that gross exports of polished diamonds went down 39% to $1.17 billion in July 2023. Gross imports of rough diamonds slipped 21% from April to July. During the same period, exports of polished lab-grown diamonds went down 28.5% to $444 million.
Overall, India’s exports of gems and jewelry fell 31% to $2.17 million during July.
