It’s a red letter day for the Gujarat diamond industry! A Gujarati diamond trader has been elected the president of Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), a prestigious and influential body of diamond industry in Antwerp.
Officials said that Nishit Parikh of Diarough, Antwerp, was elected president of AWDC by the newly elected and nominated board members during a board meeting on Wednesday. He will be the president for two years. “To have Nishit Parikh as the next president of AWDC was a unanimous decision of the board members,” said Samir Mehta, who is one of the six Gujarati diamond traders elected to the AWDC board.
Parikh could not be contacted despite several attempts. However, while speaking to DNA after his election to the AWDC board, he had said that he would work for strengthening the diamond trade in Antwerp. Parikh was also elected as one of the board members of AWDC in 2006.
Gujarati diamond traders had made a clean sweep of AWDC elections, winning each of the six seats that went to polls recently. The prospects of a Gujarati heading AWDC were almost inevitable, but these were dampened as two of the elected Gujarati traders were vying for the top post.
Amit Bhansali, COO of Rosy Blue, and Nishit Parikh laid claims for the post of AWDC president. Sources said that both diamond traders resorted to intense lobbying among the board members to win their support. In the end, Bhansali resigned as the board member, thus paving the way for Parikh’s election to the top post.
Bhansali could not be reached on his cellphone, but according to sources, he told the board members that he did not see any point in being on the board when he could not be the president.
The diamond industry in Surat also welcomed the development saying it marked a red letter day in the industry’s history and is a sign of increasing supremacy of Gujarati traders in the diamond industry.
“This is a day to be proud of for every Gujarati and Indian. This is the first time that a Gujarati will be heading the top trade body in the diamond trade’s capital. This shows how Gujarati community has been able to carve a niche for itself in the hub of diamond trading,” said Ashit Mehta, MD of Blue Star Diamonds, and brother in-law of the new AWDC president.
Chandrakant Sanghavi, regional chairman of The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council, said, “The election of a Gujarati to the top post of Antwerp World Diamond Centre is a very big and positive development for the Indian diamond industry.”
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