Diamond Park Project Mooted for Madhya Pradesh

(IDEX Online News) – The government of Madhya Pradesh is planning to establish a Diamond Park Project in the commercial capital of Indore. Madhya Pradesh is the only diamond-producing state in India.

“The Diamond Park will face competition from existing diamond processing hubs such as Surat, and the key to its success will be availability of skilled manpower,” Pithampur Audyogik Sangathan president Gautam Kothari said, as quoted by the Hindustan Times. “The state government will need to set up a skill development centre to meet the requirements of the companies that will set up shop here,” he added.

“Availability of skilled labour will be a prerequisite for the success of [the] gems and jewelry park project. The government needs to start a training programme for this purpose,” said Association of Industry, Madhya Pradesh president Hemant Mehtani.

According to The Economic Times, the park will include a special economic zone (SEZ) and domestic tariff area (DTA) that will be developed on 134.2 acres while domestic industries will be established on the remaining 120.03 acres. The SEZ will include 95 industrial plots for diamond cutting and polishing factories as well as a range of features including a hospital, school, training center and administrative building.

This is not the first time the idea of a diamond park has been mooted for Madhya Pradesh. In 1995, the government entered into talks with diamond companies B Arun Kumar International and Rosy Blue to establish diamond cutting and polishing units near Indore. However, delays over land acquisition had stalled the project as a section of farmers moved court against land acquisition, reports the Hindustan Times.