Upon being appointed as Counsel Generals, four Indian diamantaires were recently felicitated by leading trade bodies of the Indian gem and jewellery industry - the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), the apex body for the gem & jewellery trade in India, Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB), Mumbai Diamond Merchants Association (MDMA), Diamond Exporters Association Ltd. (DEAL). The title of Counsel General will further aid Gem & Jewellery Industry in their strategic move to strengthen ties with countries across the globe.

Mr. Harshad Mehta, Chairman, Rosy Blue has been appointed as the Counsel General for Armenia, Mr. Vishal Doshi, Group Executive Director ,Shrenuj for Botswana, Mr. Shreyas Doshi, CMD,Shrenuj for Finland and Mr. Kishore Virani,Chairman, KARP Impex for Lesotho.

The felicitation ceremony was held jointly by the four trade bodies at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai on February 14, 2012. Mr. Anoop Mehta, President, BDB, Mr. Bharat Shah, President, MDMA, Mr. Arvind Parikh, President, DEAL were present to felicitate the Honorary Counsel Generals. Mr. Rajiv Jain, Chairman GJEPC, applauded this feat to be “not only an honour and distinction for the Counsel Generals, but for our entire industry, especially as this must be the only time when four individuals have been chosen from a single industry to achieve this acclaim”. He further added that,” it is also a recognition and great credit for our industry which has taken such rapid strides in these past few decades” and as “one of the most promising and fast developing markets for the gems and jewellery segment.”

Mr. Sumit Mallik, Principal Secretary & Chief Protocol Officer (Govt. of Maharashtra) who also felicitated the Counsel Generals said that “we hope they open new doors of opportunities for all the countries with India to develop excellent trade prospects. “