"The diamond-processing units are still on paper, but we are working hard to turn it (sic) into reality," company marketing Siddharth Kedia told the Indian journal Business Standard. In addition this month Suashish will establish both a diamond-training institute and a diamond-trading unit, in Botswana. Kedia stated that Botswana had been chosen as the site for the diamond-training institute because it was the safest country in Africa, where, for example, the threat of terrorism was much lower than in a number of developed countries. The amount that the Indian group plans to invest in Botswana has not yet been revealed. However, it is known that Suashish's ambition is to make its diamond-processing unit in Botswana the largest, in terms of value, supplier of diamonds in the world. Based in Mumbai (Bombay), Suashish is a $200-million (about P1.08 billion) group, which was established more than 50 years ago and is today one of India's largest diamond-manufacturing and exporting companies. The group is a sight-holder of De Beers' Diamond Trading Company (DTC), but also sources diamonds from Rio Tinto and other miners. It is not clear if Suashish's decision to enter Botswana is the result of the announcement of the creation of DTC Botswana or merely fortuitous - nevertheless, the Indian group is likely to benefit from these developments in the Southern African country. (Engineering News)