Alrosa to Open India Office

RAPAPORT...Alrosa plans to launch a representative office in Mumbai inMarch, appointing former Rio Tinto and Swarovski executive Jim Vimadalal tolead the operation. The base will focus on relationships with the Indian market,rather than engaging in trading activity, the Russian miner said Thursday. Vimadalal (pictured), who will join Alrosa as director of the office, hasworked in Rio Tinto's sales-and-marketing team in India, and headed Swarovski'swestern India business. In the new role, he will be responsible for Alrosa'sinteractions with local industry organizations, advise the company's clients,negotiate with potential clients, and monitor the condition of the Indian diamondmarket. He will also be involved in research into the Indian consumer marketand ways of keeping synthetics out of the natural-diamond trade. "The opening of the office in Mumbai will enable us tobetter cooperate with industry organizations and our current clients, as wellas expand our client base in the country," said Alrosa CEO Sergey Ivanov. "I'dlike to welcome Jim Vimadalal to the company, and I'm confident that his wideexperience in sales and marketing will contribute to strengthening our partnershipwith India, as well as expanding the company's presence in the country'sdiamond market."