Revashankar was incorporated in 1995. It processes polished and rough diamonds. It was reconstituted as a public limited company from a partnership firm in 1995. Its manufacturing facilities are in Surat, but its sales office is in Mumbai.
The company specializes in round diamonds, ranging from 0.05 to 0.25 carats. In 2010-11, it entered the higher carat diamonds segment. It procures around two-thirds of its rough diamond requirement from Rio Tinto’s agents in Belgium. It also procures rough diamonds from Zao Alrosa, BHP Billiton.
CSR Initiatives
Shankar Group is engaged in philanthropic and cultural renaissance for over last 75 years.
Revashankar Pandya, the founder of Shankar Group, was a freedom fighter and participated in Khadi movement. Later, Anand Shankar and Pratap Shankar joined the Quit India movement.
Later the whole group devoted their energies into imparting education to tribals, teaching them about their cultural roots.
Praveenshankar Pandya who was the then chairman of GJEPC started Gem & Jewellery National Relief Foundation (GJNRF), an industry arm to channelise the charitable and other relief activities of the Gems & Jewellery industry.
The first calamity that hit India was the Kargil war. GJNRF worked with the Indian army to create one thousand recurring scholarships for the children of armed forces. Built hospital for them in Mumbai, 12 computer centres were established across India.
India’s Eastern coast was devastated with a super cyclone killing thousands of persons.
GJNRF created an orphanage and school Yashoda Sadan in Cuttack. Rebuilt 80 schools, primary and shishuvihar. Ploughed 25000 acres of land belonging to local farmers to bring them back into farming and also offered food grain support for the whole year.
worked. GJNRF took massive rehabilitation work. De Beers, Rio Tinto and Diamantaires from Antwerp all came forward and donated generously to the rebuilding and rehabilitations.
GJNRF took reconstruction of the following projects:
- Aamran township of over 600 houses, schools, shopping centre, etc.
- Chitrod township of over 600 houses.
- Two townships of 300 houses.
- Reconstruction of Indirabai girl school of 5000 girls with hostel, auditorium, school building, etc.
- Building 2 high school of approximately 1000 children each at Gandhidham and Anjaar.
- Community health centre at Rapar, Anjaar.
- Rebuilding and retrofitting Limdi Civic Hospital.
All these works were carried out with approximate expenditure of over `52 cores.
GJNRF has been continuously working since then towards offering relief to people hit by various calamities – Surat floods, Bihar floods, and Kashmir floods.
Praveenshankar is also a trustee and associated with Ekal foundation of India which is running over 1000 schools, one teacher school across rural and tribal belt of India. Mrs. Namita Pandya is associated with Friends of Tribal Society for last 30 years in various capacities. FTS has received Gandhi Peace Foundation award. It not only imparts value-based education but also through its rural development, self-reliant and empowerment program is contributing towards all round development. They are no longer socially exploitable.
Praveenshankar Pandya is currently the chairman of BoG of IIM Ranchi. As chairman, he has started Atal Bihari Institute of Excellence and also research centre for the development of tribal society.
Shankar Group through its charitable trust and CSR activities is also funding food program for children in rural society.