Antwerp: World Federation of Diamond Bourses (WFDB) President Ernie Blom has expressed his congratulations to the newly elected President and Vice-President of India’s Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) following elections for the top positions. Pramod Kumar Agarwal has been elected as Chairman for the period of 2018 to 2020, while Colin Shah has been elected as the Vice Chairman.

“I know Pramod and Colin, and I am certain they will do a great job in taking the GJEPC forward,” said Blom. “The GJEPC is a very important national and global organisation since it represents the enormous Indian diamonds, gemstones and jewellery industries. India polishes around 90 percent of the world’s diamonds in volume terms and that makes it a critically important part of the worldwide diamond trade.

“I would like to also express my thanks to, and appreciation of, the work of the outgoing GJEPC President Praveenshankar Pandya, and his Vice-President, Russell Mehta. They did excellent work in shepherding the Indian trade, and represented the industry to the Indian government and other authorities, as well as to the global industry. They always sought to maintain excellent relations with the WFDB, and we always saw eyeto-eye on the issues that are of most importance to our members.

“I look forward to working with Pramod Kumar Agarwal and Colin Shah in the coming years as we seek to overcome challenges and bring benefits to members of the diamond business,” he added.