Surat Diamond-Cutting Sector Reopens

RAPAPORT... The Indian government has allowed diamond businesses in Surat to reopen with limited staff numbers following concerns the shutdown was causing an exodus of workers.Companies can now employ 50% of workers in factories and 33% in offices, Surat Diamond Association (SDA) president Babubhai Kathiriya told members in a note Wednesday, seen by Rapaport News. Previously, only eight diamond units had received permission to manufacture and export.The SDA and the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) had called for authorities to ease the restrictions because cutters were leaving Surat to return to their rural homes, according to a report in The Times of India earlier this week. Workers in the diamond city often go back to plough their fields at this time of year ahead of the monsoon season, which starts in June.Under the new rules, workplaces must comply with hygiene and social-distancing guidelines, and companies must download the government's contact-tracing app. Anyone who is unwell or over 65 should stay at home, the SDA said.Image: A commercial center in Surat. (Shutterstock)