Date:31/01/2006 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/01/31/stories/2006013101272300.htm

Back `Hyderabad reports highest diamond sales'

Our Bureau

Hyderabad , Jan. 30

OVER the last three years, diamond sales in Hyderabad have witnessed an uninterrupted growth of over 30 per cent annually. During 2005, diamond jewellery sales grew by 37 per cent in the twin cities, highest in the country, according to the Diamond Trading Company (DTC).

The DTC Sales & Marketing Managing, Mr Paresh Das, said the diamond jewellery sales in Hyderabad have doubled in the last three years going by statistics. Brands such as Nakshatra, Asmi, Arisia promoted by the DTC have curved out a permanent place in the imagination of diamond loving people of Hyderabad, he said while talking at the Diamond Season Award Night held here recently.

With 650-million economically active population, India is slowly but steadily becoming the diamond-trading hub, Mr Das said. However, he said nothing was ever done to reward and motivate the people who contributed the most in increasing the diamond jewellery sales. Hence, the idea of organising an event like Diamond Season, he said in a press release. In the twin cities, 23 top jewellery stores of Hyderabad such as Tanishq, TBZ, Meena Jewellers, Kirtilal Jewellers, Orra, P. Satyanarayana, Surajbhan, Shankarlal, Impero, Mohammed Khan, Gili and Kiah have participated and ran through the entire festive and marriage season, according to the DTC Manager, Mr Premjit Sengupta.

The Best Shoppers Experience Award was bagged by Kirtilal Jewellers, while Best Window Display Award was won by Surajbhan Jewellery. The Best Showroom Award was given away to four showrooms - TBZ, Meena, Neelkant and P. Satyanarayana Jewellers. The best four showrooms of Diamond Season were given a prize of Rs 25,000 for their efforts.

According to Mr Sengupta, the Diamond Season Campaign was run all over the country in cities such as Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Surat, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore. He said 259 showrooms from across the country participated in the promotion, against 160 participated in 2004.

"We wanted to break the myth that diamonds are only for the rich and famous by holding an event like Diamond Season which also gave us the scale to keep diamond jewellery on the top of the mind for the consumers of Hyderabad through sustained promotions. Not surprisingly, we have witnessed a huge increase in customer footfalls and subsequent sales during Diamond Season," Mr Sengupta said.