![A Struggle to Sparkle](https://cdn.magzter.com/India Today/1719565271/articles/FCM5xbgJo1719570192137/A-STRUGGLE-TO-SPARKLE.jpg)
Five years ago, the Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB) was deemed the perfect antidote for the growing chaos and cost inflation of Mumbai, where most of India’s diamond traders are based—swankier, cheaper and larger offices for diamond traders, wider roads, planned international and national air connectivity through an upgraded airport. The icing on the top would be the proposed bullet train connecting Surat with Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) within two hours. It was conceptualised with an explicit, and ambitious, mission of replacing Mumbai’s BKC-based Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) as India’s main diamond trading hub—a kind of natural forward integration, since almost all the diamonds traded in Mumbai are polished in Surat. But the perfect plot on paper has palled considerably when put in practice. Seven months after its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, only 60 of the SDB’s 4,200 offices are functional. Though backed by an assertive BJP government, it has failed to motivate traders from Mumbai to expand or shift out of the metropolis. The reasons range from a downturn in the global premium jewellery market to a perceived lack of ecosystem in Surat.
This story is from the July 08, 2024 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 08, 2024 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
![The Exam Mess](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5/1748246/PjbUrrdjX1719570936194/crp_THE-EXAM-MESS.jpg)
The Exam Mess
As Leaks And Lapses Disrupt Four National Exams And The Future Of Millions Of Students, The Spotlight Falls On The National Testing Agency And The Need For Reform And Transparency
![Keeping It Real](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5/1748246/0xo7Nen4N1719574474492/KEEPING-IT-REAL.jpg)
Keeping It Real
KARTIK AARYAN SHOWS OFF HIS ACTING PROWESS AS MURLIKANT PETKAR, INDIA'S FIRST PARALYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST, IN THE KABIR KHAN-DIRECTED CHANDU CHAMPION
![A Healthy Dose of Reading](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5/1748246/5EnMJzw8F1719576144534/A-HEALTHY-DOSE-OF-READING.jpg)
A Healthy Dose of Reading
Superbugs, superdocs and the pharma-industrial complex
![The Life Eternal](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5/1748246/Y6wEe16yE1719575996968/THE-LIFE-ETERNAL.jpg)
The Life Eternal
THE QUEST FOR IMMORTALITY AND THE SCIENCE BEHIND IT ARE EXPLAINED IN LAYPERSON'S TERMS IN THIS BOOK BY THE NOBEL LAUREATE VENKI RAMAKRISHNAN
![It's Raining THRILLERS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5/1748246/AOP6Whph81719575381365/ITS-RAINING-THRILLERS.jpg)
It's Raining THRILLERS
AFTER A DRY SUMMER SPELL, A FLOOD OF FRESH FILMS SHOULD BRING RELIEF TO PARCHED AUDIENCES
![HAUTE TABLES](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5/1748246/udcJQaZMm1719575140447/HAUTE-TABLES.jpg)
HAUTE TABLES
MAKEOVERS ARE GIVING MUMBAI'S LEGACY RESTAURANTS A FRESH LEASE OF LIFE
![A Taste of India](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5/1748246/t2n7tUjgU1719575024945/A-TASTE-OF-INDIA.jpg)
A Taste of India
Delhi's INDIAN ACCENT and Mumbai's MASQUE make it to the extended list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2024
![Back to the Origin](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5/1748246/wc2me8FSk1719574844545/BACK-TO-THE-ORIGIN.jpg)
Back to the Origin
Artist PARESH MAITY talks about his installation'Genesis'-at Personal Structures, a biennial art exhibition in Venice
![CONTINENTAL LINKS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5/1748246/V9ykY5mJI1719574698811/CONTINENTAL-LINKS.jpg)
CONTINENTAL LINKS
Hamisha Daryani Ahuja's Postcards on Netflix highlights the cultural similarities between India and Nigeria
![INDIAN COFFEE BLOSSOMS](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5/1748246/0ZUN0-Fff1719573928398/INDIAN-COFFEE-BLOSSOMS.jpg)
INDIAN COFFEE BLOSSOMS
Indian planters are reaping a windfall as a supply deficit due to a drought in Vietnam, the biggest coffee-producing country after Brazil and the largest supplier of Robusta beans, results in a boom in prices