Surat Diamond Bourse: World's largest office building echoes loss of shine in its empty halls
Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB), billed as the world's largest office building, remains largely unoccupied a year after its grand opening by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 17, 2023. Although the massive 4,200-office complex has been entirely sold out, only 150 offices have become operational so far, ToI reported.
The sluggish response is being attributed to the global slowdown in the diamond business, which has tempered the enthusiasm of traders and manufacturers to shift operations from Mumbai's established diamond hubs and Surat's traditional markets to the state-of-the-art bourse.
To spark activity, the SDB has hosted multiple events throughout the year to encourage businesses to move in. In the meantime, significant infrastructure and services have been established to support diamond-related operations.
«A functional customs house is operational, and some leading diamond companies have already begun importing and exporting directly from SDB,» said Nagji Sakariya, vice-president of the SDB committee. Major companies like Kiran, Shree Ram Krishna, Dharmanandan, HVK, and Bhagwati Gems are among those utilizing the facility for global trade.
The SDB also boasts operational branches of six banks, a safe deposit vault, a diamond processing facility, travel desk services, and three restaurants, along with a cafeteria for its users.
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