Belgian PM Opens Expanded HRD Antwerp Lab in Mumbai

(IDEX Online) - Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever opened HRD Antwerp's expanded Mumbai laboratory on September 4 during a two-day visit to India, highlighting the importance of the country's diamond industry to Belgium's trade relationship with India.

The renovated laboratory in Mumbai's Bandra Kurla Complex increases HRD Antwerp's stated diamond grading capacity by 30% to as many as 2,000 diamonds a day. The expansion also increases research capacity by 30% and adds 40 full-time employees, according to the company.

India accounts for 59% of HRD Antwerp's group revenue and is expected to grow 15.4% this year, compared with projected growth of 12.6% for the group. Jewelry grading accounts for 47% of the company's total revenue increase, HRD Antwerp said.

HRD Antwerp has operated in India since 2012 and currently serves about 1,500 clients there, including jewelry manufacturers and retailers and companies that produce and trade cut diamonds. The company said the expansion reflects the importance of India as a center for diamond cutting and trading.

"As the authority in grading reports for natural diamonds and diamond jewellery, and in research into natural diamonds, we are already firmly established in India today," said Paul De Wachter, CEO of HRD Antwerp.

"India remains the world's most important centre for diamond cutting. For a diamond laboratory such as HRD Antwerp, which provides cut natural diamonds with an independent and objective grading report, it is therefore essential to keep investing in this market."

Ramakant Mitkar, managing director of HRD Antwerp India, said the company was expanding its Mumbai capacity to meet rising domestic and international demand for grading. HRD Antwerp also has a regional presence in Surat, Jaipur, Kolkata, New Delhi, Hyderabad and the Mega CFC of SEEPZ, according to the company.

De Wever described the diamond trade partnership between India and Belgium as an "unbreakable bond" built on mutual trust, transparency and cooperation, according to Akashvani News.

He said India and Antwerp have complementary roles in the industry, describing India as the world's workshop and Antwerp as a global connecting platform, and said the new HRD Antwerp facility would further strengthen bilateral diamond trade.

During his visit to the laboratory, De Wever was shown the diamond grading process and examined a diamond himself under a microscope. He also wrote in the company's guestbook: "As a diamond shines, so trust endures between nations."

HRD Antwerp was established in Antwerp in 1973 and provides grading of natural diamonds and jewelry as well as education and research. Its company-owned laboratories are in Antwerp, Mumbai and Dubai, while it also operates through representative and partner laboratories in other markets.

Picture shows: Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever examining a diamond under a microscope during the opening of HRD Antwerp's expanded Mumbai laboratory on September 4, 2026.