Diamond workers turn to embroidery for lucrative opportunities

Ahmedabad, Sep. 23 (ANI): Hit by recession, diamond workers in Gujarat's Ahmedabad city have taken to the embroidery business.

Many artisans have left the diamond work and have start working with computerized embroidery as diamond units were bearing heavy losses.

"Earlier, I was working in a diamond industry, in which I could hardly earn 4,000-5,000 rupees. When the market of diamond industry faced economic downturn, then this Embroidery Association supported us," said Vipul Sanghani, an embroidery unit owner.

"After working on this (computerised machine), we bought our own one or two machines. Later, with the help of Embroidery Association I got a bank loan by which I bought more machines. At present, I have 16 machines in my own industry. Moreover in the diamond industry, I was working under someone else but today 32 people are working under me," he added.

The embroiderers are finding the new business more profitable and less stressful than working in the diamond industry.

"I am getting more money here than the diamond industry. Here, my work is better than there as the work pressure was higher there. In diamond industry, I used to get just 5,000 rupees but here I am getting 8,00 to 9,000 rupees, and that's why I'm more satisfied here," said Hitesh Patel, an embroiderer.

At present, around 70 percent workers of the diamond industry are engaged in machine-made embroidery.

"Gradually, the finished embroidery product is getting export demands from countries like Pakistan, Dubai and in other Gulf countries where the people prefer to wear embroidered dresses," said Kanubhai Jogani, the president of Ahmedabad Embroidery Association.

"The retailers who were dealing with small assignments also are becoming big and are getting good returns out of this," he added.

A recent study of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in Gandhinagar, the capital city of Gujarat, shows that at least 80 percent of the diamond polishing units in Ahmedabad have been replaced by computerised embroidery establishments. By Uday Adharvayu (ANI)