Surat: Surat has been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for ‘Surat Cut Diamond’, a significant recognition for the city’s globally known diamond industry.

The GI certificate was recently presented to the Surat Diamond Association (SDA) by the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) during a programme held in Ahmedabad. The association had applied for the GI certification nearly 18 months ago. Earlier, Surat Zari Craft had also received a GI tag.

SDA president Jagdish Khunt received the certificate from Prof. Unnat Pandit, Comptroller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM), along with Sunil Shukla, Director General of EDII.

Khunt said the recognition belongs to lakhs of diamond workers whose cutting and polishing skills have built the industry over several decades. He added that ‘Surat Cut’ is expected to gain global recognition similar to well-known standards such as ‘Belgium Cut’, noting that nearly nine out of every ten diamonds in the world are processed in Surat.

On the occasion, Dr. Pandit said that India is a country with a rich heritage of knowledge built over years of dedication and practice across many fields. It is extremely important to encourage and protect the ideas and processes embedded in this tradition at the right time. The Geographical Indication (GI) system plays a significant role in promoting the social and economic welfare of producers and artisans. He expressed happiness that they are actively supporting efforts to secure GI tags for their products, which helps them gain better recognition. DeshGujarat