The new, extended wing of HRD Antwerp’s Mumbai office at BKC was inaugurated yesterday by HE Minister-President of the Government of Flanders Geert Bourgeois in the presence of a number of dignitaries from Belgium and India. The expanded premises will now also offer melee screening services using the new M-Screen device launched recently by HRD.

Also in attendance on the occasion were Jan Luykx, Ambassador of Belgium in India, Peter Huyghebaert Consul General of Belgium in Mumbai and Claire Tillekaerts, CEO Flanders Investment & Trade Agency, a delegation of Belgian and Indian government officials and industry representatives.

The inauguration coincided with the visit of the largest-ever trade mission of Flanders to India.

Speaking on the occasion, Peter Macken, CEO HRD Antwerp, said, “When HRD Antwerp opened its Mumbai office back in June 2012, the strategic decision was made to invest heavily in state-of-the-art equipment, stringent security features and advanced training for employees, as back then we anticipated for the Indian diamond and diamond jewellery market to see an exponential annual growth. Now almost four years later we’re delighted to see these forecasts have held and the need for an extra extension of our office deemed necessary.”

Ravindra Chhabria, Managing Director HRD Antwerp – India, added, “Given the increasing amount of lab-grown diamonds entering the diamond and diamond jewellery market, we’re also extremely excited to be expanding our Mumbai operations with a new melee diamond screening service using the M-Screen, the world’s fastest melee screening device.  We’re positive this new service will significantly contribute towards strengthening consumer confidence throughout the diamond pipeline, both domestic as well as internationally.”

In a separate announcement, HRD Antwerp also said that they have introduced a new online ‘Track and Trace’ feature in their services. This will enable clients to have a real time overview of their parcel in the lab.

Pic caption: HE Minister-President of Flanders Geert Bourgeois inspecting the M-Screen