GJEPC and Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) hosted an Open House session with the Customs Department on 4th December 2025 at the BDB Convention Hall. The packed session brought diamantaires face-to-face with Smt Prachi Saroop, Principal Chief Commissioner of Customs, Mumbai Zone III; Shri Santosh Kumar Mishra, Commissioner of Customs; Shri Roopesh Sukumaran, Additional Commissioner of Customs; and Shri Harsh Singh, Joint Commissioner of Customs, for a direct exchange on valuation, investigations, and procedural challenges.
Industry leaders present on the occasion were Shri Kirit Bhansali, Chairman, GJEPC; Shri Anoop Mehta, President, BDB and Convener – Diamond Panel, GJEPC; Shri Shaunak Parikh, Vice Chairman, GJEPC; and Shri Mehul Shah, Vice President, BDB.
Members raised concerns about volatile diamond prices, delays in investigations, inconsistencies in valuation, tolerance limits, and practical issues linked to exports, reimports, and consignment shipments. Several participants highlighted discrepancies between panel valuers, challenges in classifying mixed-quality parcels, and the impact of prolonged case pendency on working capital.
Smt Saroop said the purpose of the session was to listen and identify solutions within the legal framework. She noted that some matters required policy-level intervention and assured faster resolution of investigation cases, adding that cases should typically not exceed 6 months. She encouraged the trade to submit consolidated lists of pending matters to GJEPC for review. She called on the trade to share the pain points faced by exporters and importers that need to be highlighted at the policy level for consideration in Budget 2026.
Shri Mishra outlined how the two-tier panel valuer system operates and acknowledged constraints arising from the absence of specialised jewellery experts in customs recruitment. He added that minor variations in valuation were already being approached with practical judgment, while larger divergences were examined more deeply as mandated by law.
Industry leaders emphasised the urgent need for clarity on tolerance limits, smoother reimport processes, and alignment of procedures with the realities of today’s market, where pricing swings are sharp and demand inconsistent.
The meeting closed with an assurance from the Customs leadership that all documented issues would be reviewed and that actionable steps would follow, marking a constructive step toward improving ease of business for the diamond trade.