Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially opened the Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB) today, which is being labelled as the "world's largest workspace" and is intended to relocate the entire diamond trading industry from Mumbai to Surat.
In his praise for the new establishment, PM Modi remarked, "One more diamond has been added to Surat’s magnificence… The tall buildings around the world have lost their sheen in front of such a huge diamond."
The PM also said, "The Surat Diamond Bourse showcases the prowess of Indian design, designers, materials, and the Indian concept... It stands as a symbol of the new India and its capabilities. I extend my congratulations to the entire diamond industry, Surat, and the nation for the Surat Diamond Bourse."
Spanning an area of 66 lakh square feet at DREAM (Diamond Research and Mercantile) City, the bourse is part of a greenfield project designed as a township spread over nearly 700 acres. It comprises nine interconnected towers, each 15 stories high, and offers office spaces ranging from 300 square feet to 7,5000 square feet.
The SDB will house approximately 27 retail jewelry outlets, and over 4,000 CCTV cameras have been installed for security purposes.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister also inaugurated the newly-constructed terminal building of the Surat International Airport, which has been designed to reflect the local culture and heritage. The airport is equipped to accommodate 1,200 domestic passengers and 600 international passengers during peak hours, with provisions for further increasing the peak hour capacity to 3,000 passengers and the annual handling capacity to 55 lakh passengers, according to an official statement.
The SDB, built on an area of 66 lakh square feet at DREAM (Diamond Research and Mercantile) City, is larger than The Pentagon in the United States, which is currently the world's largest office space. It will accommodate about 4,200 offices of varying sizes and will host all diamond-related activities and infrastructure, including the sale of rough and polished diamonds, diamond manufacturing machinery, diamond planning software, diamond certificate firms, lab-grown diamonds, and more. Additionally, 27 retail outlets for diamond jewelry will be established for both international and domestic buyers.
The high-security nature of the bourse is evident from the installation of over 4,000 CCTV cameras at various locations inside and outside the premises. Furthermore, the SDB management committee has announced plans to collect biometric details of employees, enabling them to access the complex by simply waving their hand.