Inserts:

00:03 Report by Adil Bhat & Sharique Ahmad 
00:19 Ganesh / Diamond trader
01:14 Pareh Gedhiya / Former diamond polisher

Script:

Surat in western India is known as the diamond capital of the world. 

Nearly every diamond sold globally is first cut and polished here. 

But today, inside Surat’s vast diamond market, business is slowing down fast. 

0:18
SOT, (Hindi) Ganesh, Diamond Trader  

 “When the Iran war started, we faced tremendous difficulty. Before that, business was slow - but at least there was some work. Now, because of the Iran war, our business has been completely devastated”. 
0:29

This industry was already struggling. Western sanctions had cut off Russian diamond supplies. Trump’s tariffs on India added more pressure.  

Now, traders here say the conflict in the Middle East has pushed the sector deeper into crisis. Trade routes are disrupted. Shipping and insurance costs have surged. 

And in Surat, it is workers like Pareh Gedhiya who are paying the price. 

For eight years, Pareh worked in Surat’s diamond factories, cutting and polishing natural diamonds.  

The factory he worked laid him off three months ago. 

This is his first visit back to the factory since he lost his job. 

1:10

Pareh Gedhiya, Former Diamond Polisher 

SOT (Hindi)  

 “This is the place I used to work. Let me show you the place where I used to sit to work.” 

1:19

For years, polishing diamonds helped Pareh support his family back in his village.  

He earned around 350 euros a month - a decent income by local standards. ( Stand) 

He was not alone. More than 50 workers have lost their jobs at this factory, which once employed 200 people. 

Many of the workers who are still employed say their salaries have been cut nearly in half. 

1:46

Pareh Gedhiya, Former Diamond Polisher 

SOT (Hindi)   

 “When I lost my job, I tried looking for job at many places but could not find one. I visited many diamond factories but they refused to give me work. After losing my job I was very upset and did not know what do. When I came home, my family would ask me about money, about for my daughter’s school fees. And the pressure was unbearable.”  

2:07

+++ GRAFIK rein +++
Surat’s diamond industry depends on rough stones imported from Russia, the UAE, Belgium and parts of Africa. Once cut and polished here, those diamonds are sent to the United States, Switzerland, and the UAE.  

+++ GRAFIK raus +++
2:23

But since the outbreak of the conflict, supply chains have slowed down. Exports of cut and polished diamonds have fallen significantly in recent years.  

India’s gems-and-jewellery industry employs around five million people and is a major part of the country’s economy. 

But when DW reached out to the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, the government body that represents the industry, its representative denied any crisis  

For Pareh Gedhiya, waiting for the industry to recover is no longer an option. 

Unable to find work in the industry, he has decided to become as a taxi driver - earning a fraction of what he once made polishing diamonds.