The Sparkle-2011 gem and jewelry expo, which closes today in Surat, India, will help create brand value for the diamonds and jewelry manufactured in Surat, Chief Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday at the opening ceremony for the four-day show.

Modi stressed that increased air connectivity would greatly contribute to commerce in Surat, which includes not only the diamond industry but the textile sector, as well. He criticized India's government for the delay in the city's air connectivity, commenting that if airport development were the responsibility of the state rather than the central government, Surat would already be served by both domestic and international flights.

Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Ajoy Bhattacharya called Surat a world leader in diamond cutting and polishing and said his organization sought to make it a world hub of diamond jewelry manufacturing, as well.

Bhattacharya said that the Sparkle-2011 show would "give an edge to the jewelry manufacturers of Surat and Gujarat to showcase their products to the world."

In related news, a councilor of the Surat Municipal Corporation has written to Modi, alleged that Bhattacharya and his team misappropriated funds allocated for the Sparkle-2011 exhibitions, the Times of India reports.

Prakash Desai claimed that the state government had earmarked $661,000 to organize the event, but that some of the money had been used by the SGCCI to organize expositions in European countries, the US, and the Far East.

Bhattacharya responded to the allegations by saying that not "a single penny" had been misused, and that the international shows had been held to advertise Surat's diamond and jewelry industry and the Sparkle-2011 show.