The Surat Rough Diamond Sourcing India Limited (SRDSIL) consortium is urging India's central government to follow a move this week by the South African Diamond and Precious Metals Regulator (SADPMR) and permit imports of rough diamonds from Zimbabwe.

The Times of India reports that Zimbabwe's Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu visited Mumbai earlier this week and met with diamantaires, one of whom noted that the minister was "very critical of the stand taken by India" on his country's diamonds.

SRDSIL Chairman Amit Mehta warned that if India does not accept rough diamonds from Zimbabwe, the country's diamond industry would lose its supply of rough product, which would instead go to China and Russia.

Mehta said that India, as the end-user of Zimbabwe diamonds, should have been the country to take the initiative to allow imports, rather than South Africa. Mehta believes that either the Minerals and Metal Trading Corporation Limited (MMTC) or Hindustan Diamond Company should handle the imports.