Most new Diamond Trading Company sightholders for the new contract period beginning in 2012 will likely be Indian diamond companies, DTC CEO Varda Shine told the Times of India.

Leading Indian diamond companies comprise 50% of the DTC's list of 67 sightholders for the current 2008-2011 contract period.

Shine told the Times that while the DTC does not choose sightholders by geographical region and does not set a certain number of clients, India was "very much in the international business," selling diamonds to the US, China, and other top diamond consuming markets.

India's diamantaires had the "most sophisticated, innovative, and successful business sense," Shine added, so it was likely that the Indian companies would perform well in the competitive sightholder selection process.