Surat: Efforts to ease the crisis facing India’s diamond cutting and polishing industry suffered a setback after the anticipated visit of Botswana President Duma Boko to India was cancelled. The visit, scheduled from Jan 24 to 26 and expected to include a stop in Surat, will no longer take place.Industry sources said the global business environment, particularly the recent US tariffs, has affected attempts to strengthen India-Botswana trade relations.A delegation from the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) had visited Botswana in Nov alongside the state visit of President Droupadi Murmu. Representatives from the diamond, solar, coal, investment and textile sectors were part of the delegation. In December, a Botswanan delegation led by minerals minister Bogolo Joy Kenewendo came to India, during which preparations for President Boko’s visit were discussed.Kenewendo had indicated that key announcements related to the diamond sector were expected during the president’s India trip. Industry leaders hoped the visit would strengthen bilateral ties, particularly in the diamond trade.India remains heavily dependent on rough diamond imports, especially after sanctions were imposed by the US and G7 countries on Russian diamonds due to the Ukraine war. Russia accounts for nearly 30% of global rough diamond supply and the sanctions led to a decline in Russian imports.Botswana, which holds a nearly 30% share of the global diamond supply, is keen to deepen ties with India — the world’s largest diamond cutting and polishing hub, with nearly 90% of diamonds being processed in Surat and other parts of Gujarat. Botswana is also exploring options to clear a rough diamond inventory of around 12 million karats amid a global slowdown in demand for natural diamonds due to the rise of lab-grown diamonds.“President Boko’s visit is not taking place as announced, but we are hopeful that new dates will be announced soon. Discussions are underway to organize the visit at the earliest,” said Nikhil Madrasi, president of SGCCI.
