(IDEX Online) - Diamond manufacturers in India are struggling to meet demand, with many workers yet to return from their rural villages after new lockdowns, and Covid curfews again being extended.
The general manager of one unit said he was struggling to meet 60 per cent of demand. Zalak Savani, from Ahmedabad, told the ANI news agency: "Many diamond polishers in Ahmedabad say demand for polished stones has jumped as several countries lifted COVID curbs.
"But we are unable to meet demands because the workers who went to their homes in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan have not returned."
Night curfews in many parts of India were further extended last week, restricting factories to 12 hours a day.
The number of new Covid cases across the country has dropped considerably from a peak of 400,000 a day in May to 50,000 last week.