India’s diamond industry in Surat will be training poor, unskilled tribal women in diamond cutting and polishing to boost the womens’ economic status and to overcome a severe skilled labor shortage.

The training program is a joint initiative taken by the Surat Diamond Association (SDA) , the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), and the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC).

Surat is a global diamond processing hub and efforts are underway to persuade tribal women to join the training programs that would integrate them into the local industry. A M Khatri, the DRDA Director, claims that by working in diamond cutting and polishing, tribal women would be making about three times the wages they currently make working in fields. 

After they have gone through training, the GJEPC and the SDA are planning to encourage diamantaires to open up small-scale diamond manufacturing units to employ the new workers.

"...We have asked diamond industry leaders to set up diamond manufacturing units…to help the tribal women get direct access to their workplace," said A M Khatri.

Of the approximately 500,000 diamond cutters and polishers employed by the Surat diamond industry, only about 10% are women. Rural women, however, do not have equal access to industry training or employment opportunities. The training initiative aims to lessen the inequality.

"The industry is set to face a shortage of diamond workers in the near future as the youngsters are not willing to take up the job and the present workforce is on the verge of retirement. However, the industry has felt a strong need to train unskilled artisans from the rural areas to create more employment. We are ready to extend all the support required in training and giving employment to the tribal women at their doorstep," said SDA president Dinesh Navadia.