Landmark boss Micky Jagtiani has topped the first list of Indian wealth in the GCC, with a fortune of $3.2bn.

The survey, released by Arabian Business today, shows that Jagtiani now has close to $1.5bn more than his nearest rival in the wealth stakes, New Medical Centre Group boss BR Shetty, placed second with $1.72bn.

Covering the 30 Richest Indians in the GCC region, the survey placed EMKE Group’s Yusuffali MA in third place with $1.55bn, while the Chhabria family, owners of the Jumbo Electronics chain, came in fourth with $1.3bn. In total, the list has just five billionaires, including fifth placed PNC Menon on $1.2bn.

 Arabian Business deputy editor Edward Attwood said: “Wherever you look in the GCC, there are so many success stories of Indian entrepreneurs who came to the region many years ago, and have created world class businesses worth several billion dollars. Micky Jagtiani may have topped this year’s list, but everyone on it is a success story in their own right.”

Other notable names included GEMS Group founder Sunny Varkey, ranked sixth with $950m, while Petrochem Middle East managing director is ranked 13th on the list, with $623m.

Propping up the top thirty is Arabian Trading Agency chairman Maghanmal Pancholia, with an estimated fortune of $170m.

New Delhi, 21st September 2011: White is pure, simple, and goes with everything. To provide trendy-minded users with a perfect combination of beauty and technology, Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend®) recommends its classy white products that can easily match any personal style-the MP870 Digital Music Player, the retractable JetFlash 530 USB Flash Drives, the StoreJet 25D 2-W Portable Hard Drive, and PF 830 Digital Photo Frame.

MP870 Digital Music Player

The MP870 digital music player comes with a colorful 2.4” high-definition TFT screen and offers over 22 hours of music playback on a single battery charge*. It has abundant built-in memory up to 8GB and a microSD /microSDHC expansion slot, allowing you to store and share more of your video, audio or picture collections—with unparalleled level of audio and visual quality.

Aside from RM/RMVB that other brands rarely support, the MP870 is compatible with a variety of popular file formats such as MPEG4 SP (Xvid), FLV, MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG and FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec), offering unlimited portable entertainment that you have never experienced before.

JetFlash 530 USB Flash Drives

Transcend’s JetFlash 530 features a handy push-out USB connector, a capless retractable design that protects the drive and its contents. The drive comes in five lively bright colors that match its sleek gloss-white case, and sports an LED indicator light that blinks during file transfer.

StoreJet 25D2-W Portable Hard Drive

The compact StoreJet 25D2-W portable hard drive is stylish, rugged and ultra-portable. Its shiny gloss-white lacquer finish resembles the classic Apple style, making it look good with any Mac computer. With full certification for use with all Mac systems, the StoreJet 25D2-W bears the “Compatible with Mac OS X” logo that gives Mac users extra peace of mind. Thanks to its trendy design and multi-platform compatibility, both Windows and Mac users now have a fantastic choice for storing and carrying their data with style.

PF 830 Digital Photo Frame

Seize every precious moment and make it everlasting with the PF830 digital photo frame. With its 8-inch high-resolution screen, you can show off your treasured photos with the same crisp detail and rich color as high-quality prints! The PF830 has up to 4GB of internal memory and is fully compatible with SD, SDHC, CF, MMC and MS types of popular memory cards. Just plug in your memory card from digital camera before you hit the play button for an instant display. With a bright photo-friendly 4:3 screen, multiple color modes, plus an automatic rotation sensor, the PF830 is the must-have companion to keep all those important moments alive!

Companies Unveil Full Range of Ultra-Efficient LED Lighting Products, Including the World’s First Sub-Rs.675 High-Performance 60-Watt Equivalent Omnidirectional LED Bulb

New Delhi, India, and Satellite Beach, Florida, September 09, 2011 – Dixon Technologies India Pvt. Ltd, a world-class electronics products manufacturer in India, and Lighting Science Group (OTCBB: LSCG), the world’s premier maker of LED lighting solutions, announced recently a manufacturing/distribution partnership to launch a pioneering full range of LED lighting solutions in India. The Lighting Science Group/Dixon Technologies products, including street lights, outdoor and industrial light fixtures and replacement bulbs, will set a new standard for lighting product performance, producing more light for less energy than any similar products currently available in India. At a press conference today, the companies demonstrated one of their first joint products: a high-performance, sub- Rs. 675, 60-watt equivalent omnidirectional A19 LED bulb that will be available in India later this year and will be sold worldwide by Lighting Science Group early next year.

The Indian market for LED lighting is expected to grow to 1,600 crores by 2015 (53% per annum), making it one of the fastest-growing sectors of one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. . According to India’s Ministry of Power, the country plans to build 80 new coal-fired power plants to keep up with rising electricity demand over the next 5 years, and the potential savings from simply changing light bulbs to the new LED technology can significantly reduce their county’s electricity demand by as much as 40%. 

“With India’s peak load electricity deficit expected to increase upwards of 15% in the near-term, the adoption of energy efficient technologies will prove critical in meeting India’s infrastructure needs and demands of continued economic growth. Our partnership with Lighting Science Group will make LED technology available for large scale implementation in the Indian market and we expect to be the market’s leading seller of LED lighting within two years,” said Sunil Vachani, chairman and managing director of Dixon Technologies.

Consistent availability of good quality electricity can be a constraining factor on economic growth, and moving to LED lighting is the low lying fruit of efficiency initiatives without polluting the environment: easy to implement with rapid repayment of the investment from power savings.  The newly announced Lighting Science Definity® bulb fits perfectly into existing screw-in light sockets and creates a clean, bright light level equivalent to a conventional 60-watt incandescent bulb using 85% less electricity and is designed to handle the variable quality of power in India and other emerging economies.  Even compared with relatively efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), the new bulb uses 35% less electricity and, unlike all fluorescent lights, contains no toxic mercury.  At a retail price of Rs. 675, the payback from electricity saving versus traditional incandescent light bulbs is 8 months and the LED bulb has an expected life of approximately 8 years.

“With 800,000,000 incandescent light bulbs and 300,000,000 CFLs sold in India each year, the market is ripe for these highly efficient, long lasting and nontoxic products,” said Atul Lall, deputy managing director of Dixon Technologies. “The economic and environmental implications of this partnership are significant: old-style light bulbs use 60 billion units of electricity each year, 7% of India’s total, and our Lighting Science Group Definity® lamps could save over 70% of that, equivalent to 32 coal fired plants with 500MW capacity.”

With its high efficiency, long life and high quality light, LED technology is transforming the $100 billion global lighting industry. That is why the Indian government is targeting LED lighting as a sector of excellence and as a driver of the future Indian economy.

“As India undergoes an infrastructure transformation in the next few years, the country has an unprecedented opportunity to leapfrog the rest of the world by becoming an early, large-scale adopter of LED technology,” said Mr. Fred Maxik, Chief Technology Officer, Lighting Science Group. “Augmenting our production capabilities by utilizing Dixon Technologies’ manufacturing facilities in Noida, we’ll be able meet the expected strong demand from individuals, businesses and government in India and I expect that our LED lighting products–particularly the new 60-watt equivalent bulb—will quickly become some of the best selling lighting products in the world” he added.

ZOTAC debuts new home theatre PC friendly ZBOX nano AD10 series

ZBOX-NANO-AD10

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, September 4, 2011 – ZOTAC® International, a leading innovator and the world’s largest channel manufacturer of graphics cards, motherboards and mini-PCs, today debuts the palm-sized ZBOX nano AD10 series mini-PCs. The new ZOTAC® ZBOX nano AD10 series shrinks the standard ZBOX form factor and adds more home theatre PC friendly features for your digital media needs.
 
Powered by the AMD “Brazos” E-350 APU Platform with Discrete-Class AMD Radeon™ HD 6310 graphics, the ZOTAC® ZBOX nano AD10 series packs plenty of performance with hardware video decode acceleration technologies for popular high-definition video formats, including Blu-ray and Adobe® Flash®, into a miniature 127mm x 127mm x 45mm form factor that fits in the palm of your hand.
 
“The ZOTAC® ZBOX nano AD10 series is our smallest mini-PC,” said Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC® International. “Despite the miniature size, the ZBOX nano AD10 series has nearly all the same features as our award-winning ZBOX and ZBOX Blu-ray series, and even introduces a couple new features.”
 
New to the ZOTAC® ZBOX nano AD10 series is an integrated infra-red receiver with bundled Windows Media Center compatible remote control – a USB IR receiver is also bundled.
 
“There was a lot of demand for a bundled remote with our mini-PCs so we listened and engineered a solution that would work for all home theatre PC installation scenarios,” Mr. Berger added. “Our dual IR receiver solution enables use of the remote control with all placements, including hidden and wall-mounted installations.”
 
Customizing the ZOTAC® ZBOX nano AD10 series remains easy with two thumb screws that unlock the internals. A DDR3 SO-DIMM slot and space for a 2.5-inch SATA 6.0 Gb/s hard drive or SSD is available in the ZOTAC® ZBOX nano AD10 while the ZBOX nano AD10 Plus ships with 2GB of memory and a 320GB hard drive preinstalled.

A new VESA 75/100 mount for monitor or wall mounting installations is included with all ZOTAC® ZBOX nano AD10 series mini-Pcs and enables users to attach the mini-PC in four different orientations for improved flexibility.
 
It’s time to play with the ZOTAC® ZBOX nano AD10 series.

General details
• ZOTAC® Debuts Palm-Sized ZBOX nano AD10 series
• AMD E-350 APU platform
o 1.6 GHz, dual-core
• AMD Radeon™ HD 6310 graphics processor
o 80 unified shaders
o Engine clock: 500 MHz
• ZBOX nano AD10
o 1 x DDR3-1066 SO-DIMM slot
o Support 1 x 2.5-inch SATA 6.0 Gb/s HDD/SSD
• ZBOX nano AD10 Plus
o 2GB DDR3
o 320GB 5400RPM HDD
• 2 x SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports
• HDMI & DisplayPort outputs
• AMD UVD technology(hardware accelerated H.264, VC-1, decode)
• Dolby® TrueHD™ & DTS-HD™: Master Audio bitstream ready
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Onboard 802.11n WiFi
• Onboard Bluetooth 3.0 technology

ZBOX Specifications:

New Delhi: 16th August 2011: Strontium Technology has unveiled its new DDR3 1600MHz speed grade memory modules for desktops and laptops, with 2GB and 4GB capacity. As an introductory offer, price of 1600MHz modules would be kept same as 1333MHz modules. These modules are compatible with motherboards that support the Sandy Bridge platform. 4GB modules of Strontium’s value memory brand ‘EVM’ would also be offered at the same price for both 1600MHz and 1333MHz

Technology said, “Strontium is always committed to bringing latest products at the highest quality to all our customers at honest and competitive price points.”

With base memory frequency at 1600MHz, latency of 9-9-9-24 and low 1.5V supply voltage, Strontium DDR3 1600MHz modules offer maximum compatibility and system efficiency. Users can reach maximum performance and faster benchmark scores without having to overclock.
 
Mr. Kunal Hundia from Hundia Infosolution commented on the launch, “It’s inviting to know that Strontium is encouraging the adoption of this technology while other module houses pushes inventory on trailing edge products which are left over from the developed markets.”
 
Strontium will be offering these 4GB DDR3 1600MHz modules at the price of 1333MHz for an introductory period to customers throughout India, Australia, New Zealand and other countries. Strontium 1600MHz modules also come in 2GB capacity and in the form of single, dual and triple channel kits, while EVM 1600MHz modules is only available in 4GB capacity.

All Strontium memory modules are consistent and compatible with JEDEC standards, RoHS compliant and carry a lifetime warranty.

Interest rates push up cost of home loans

India’s real estate sector, which soared as the country’s economy took off and higher incomes led to increased demand, is facing turbulent times as interest rates push up the cost of home loans.

A succession of rate hikes has prompted prospective buyers to delay purchases, with the situation having a knock-on effect on the country’s top property firms.

Stocks of leading firms like DLF, Unitech and DB Realty hit year-lows this month, on weak earnings and amid growing concerns over the global economic recovery after the US credit downgrade and ongoing eurozone debt crisis.

The realty index on the Bombay Stock Exchange has halved in value from a year ago and many firms have seen their share price plunge after details emerged of an alleged loans-for-bribes scandal last October.

Analysts say that the immediate outlook does not look rosy for property firms, with another rate hike expected before the end of the year, spiralling fuel, labour and raw material costs, and a slowdown in economic activity.

“(Home) sales are not moving at the expected pace. On the other hand, debt and costs burdens have increased for some developers,” said Neeraj Bansal, director at global consultants KPMG in India.
“The outlook for the sector looks tight,” he told AFP.

On Friday, Mumbai-based DB Realty gave the latest indication of the health of the sector, reporting a 33 percent fall in profit year-on-year to 411 million rupees (ê9.03 million) for the three months to the end of June.

DB Realty has seen its share price nosedive from a high of 474.9 rupees in September last year to a low of 66.00 in May after boss Shahid Balwa was arrested in connection with a high-level corruption probe. It is now trading just above its lows at 68 rupees.

New-Delhi-based DLF has shown a fall in quarterly net profit for four straight quarters, hit by a sharp rise in interest payments on loans and increased expenditure which outweighed gains from property sales.

The company has called the current environment “difficult”, reflecting wider concerns among business leaders that government and central bank efforts to rein in spiralling inflation are hitting investment and growth.

In Mumbai, India’s most expensive market, residential sales dropped to a 30-month low in the first quarter of the current financial year to June, according to Liases Foras Real Estate Rating and Research.

Experts predict that the cost of prime real estate could match prices in London, but with demand outstripping supply in the residential sector that makes up 80 percent of the Indian property market, something will have to give.

“Developers will have to start reducing unrealistically high prices to boost sales,” said Pramod Gubbi, of brokerage Ambit Capital.

The Mumbai Mirror newspaper said on Saturday that not a single sale has been made at one luxury apartment block in south Mumbai, despite the 3.5-billion-rupee development being available to buyers for five years.

With less construction activity for the developer, sales of plotted developments can be completed quickly, improving cash flows.

DLF said it had 52 million square feet of land under development and sold 1.9 million square feet in the April-June period. It plans to sell 12 million square feet of residential land in the current financial year.

New Delhi, India, Dubai, UAE, 14th August 2011: The World Land Trust and ethical coloured gemstones mining company, Gemfields, together with Jaguar Land Rover and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA India), have collaborated with ten of India’s top jewellery designers to create a unique ‘pop up’ collection of bespoke Zambian emerald jewellery. Following the success of ‘Emeralds for Elephants’ in London in the summer of 2010, the aim of this collection is to create awareness and raise crucial funds for the conservation initiatives of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) for the Asian Elephant in India. The headline piece of the collection is a Ganesha sculpture with a 638 carat Gemfields Zambian emerald created by renowned artist, Arzan Khambatta.  The collection will be launched in July and will close with a Grand Auction at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai on 14 October 2011.

As India’s farmlands and cities expand, the Asian Elephant is experiencing large-scale habitat fragmentation and loss.  India is home to 60% of the world’s Asian Elephant population, making their survival in India critical to the survival of the whole species.  An extensive survey across India conducted by WTI resulted in identifying 88 vital corridors for elephant movement. The Wildlife Trust of India with its conservation partners subsequently set about securing these vital corridors, of which the World Land Trust has partnered with WTI in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, southern Indian state of Kerala and the north eastern state of Meghalaya.   Securing corridors for elephants involves working closely with local communities and governments and this renders the entire process time and resource-intensive. WTI and its conservation partner WLT aim to facilitate the creation of conflict-free corridors and improve conservation prospects of the Asian elephant.   

Gemfields has hand-picked ten leading jewellers from around India to create a one-of-a-kind piece or set of jewellery, incorporating Zambian emeralds.  Gemfields’ focus is on ethically produced Zambian emeralds that follow fair-trade, environment, social and safety best practices.  The Company’s unique mine-to-market capability guarantees the provenance of every gem through a full disclosure and certification programme.  The deep green of these gems and the ethical nature of their mining and route to market, form a perfect fit with the World Land Trust’s goals and objectives.

Each designer has created a unique piece /set inspired by the elephants themselves and the corridors that are home to an abundant biodiversity of flora and fauna.  The jewellers are just as diverse in their style and designs; Abaran Jewellers (Bangalore), Anmol Jewellers (Mumbai), Gem Palace (Jaipur), Khanna Jewellers (New Delhi), Meena Jewellers(Hyderabad), Narayan Jewellers (Baroda), Nirav Modi (Mumbai), Sawansukha Jewellers (Kolkata), Talwarsons Jewellers (Chandigarh) and Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers (Chennai).

The collection will go on tour around India to each of the designers’ boutiques from August to October 2011.   On 14 October, Sotheby’s will auction the collection at an exclusive event held in the Taj Mahal Hotel Mumbai, with a percentage of profits from each jewel going towards the World Land Trust’s ‘Indian Elephant Corridor’ project.

John Burton, CEO of World Land Trust, whose patrons include Sir David Attenborough and David Gower, says “Gemfields have not only demonstrated their ethics, but are also committed to helping the natural environment of Elephants, both in Africa where their emeralds are mined, but also in India where many of them are sold.  In 2010 they were one of the major contributors to the programme managed by the Wildlife Trust of India and supported by the World Land Trust, creating corridors to allow elephants to move freely between protected areas.” 

The partnership between World Land Trust and Gemfields is an on-going one and both organisations have long-term aims for their work together.  Ian Harebottle, CEO of Gemfields says that “Gemfields is very pleased to bring Emeralds for Elephants to India this year.  Our London auction for the ‘Indian Elephant Corridor’ project helped to raise a significant amount last year, and we are sure of a good response in India.  Gemfields is proud to have partners who support us wholeheartedly on this initiative and we sincerely hope that our efforts in giving to the environment will help build larger and more viable habitats.”

sponsors include: Jaguar Land Rover, The Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, Sotheby’s, CanazWest Pictures, Mumm Champagne, BVC, Show Stuff and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA India) who have kindly issued the identification report for each piece of jewellery in this collection.  

SJ25A photo

New Delhi: 11th August 2011: Transcend Information, Inc. (Transcend), a worldwide leader in storage and multimedia products, today released a new addition to its StoreJet line of portable hard drives, the StoreJet 25A. This new drive boasts an attractively slender yet shock-resistant design, and is available in both SuperSpeed USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 versions. Featuring strikingly fast data transfer speeds, powerful software tools and up to a full terabyte of storage capacity, the StoreJet 25A is ideal for everyday backup, storage, and transport.

Next Generation SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Interface
The StoreJet 25A3 portable hard drive is equipped with a next-generation SuperSpeed USB 3.0 connection interface that provides 10 times the bandwidth of USB 2.0. Thanks to the improved connection speed of USB 3.0, the StoreJet 25A3 delivers real-world transfer speeds of up to 90MB/s – fast enough to transfer a full DVD in just 50 seconds. If ultimate transfer speed is not absolutely essential, the StoreJet 25A2 USB 2.0 version of the drive offers the same eye-catching design and features at an attractive price.

Slim and Compact, yet Durable and Shock Resistant
Although slender and lightweight in design, the StoreJet 25A offers robust durability, with thorough defense against data loss resulting from accidental shock or collision. The slimmest drive to incorporate Transcend’s exclusive shock-absorbing suspension damper system, the StoreJet 25A effectively protects its internal hard drive by softening the force of impact in case of accidental slips or falls.

Powerful Software with One Touch Backup Convenience
Much more than just a place to store files, the StoreJet 25A can also function as an advanced data backup station, with a convenient One Touch Auto-Backup button for swift, effortless data backup and synchronization when used with the bundled Transcend Elite software. Aside from its comprehensive backup features, Transcend Elite also offers robust encryption security and time-saving mobile internet bookmarks. Additionally, the StoreJet 25A includes Transcend’s own RecoveRx™ software – an extraordinarily effective tool for bringing back accidentally deleted or lost files.

The USB 3.0 StoreJet 25A3 is currently available in three capacities: 500GB (Rs.6150/-); 750GB (Rs.7350/-); 1TB (Rs.9800/-), and the USB 2.0 StoreJet 25A2 is also available in 500GB (Rs.5650/-); 750GB (Rs.6800/-); and 1TB (Rs.9200/-) capacities. All models are backed by Transcend’s three-year limited warranty.

-First Company in India to undertake Die Testing facility-

Om Nanotech-Picture of the manufacturing unit

New Delhi, August 01, 2011 Om Nanotech Pvt. Ltd. the leading manufacturer, supplier and exporter of Memory Modules, Computer RAM, Pen Drives, Flash Cards, has been leading in innovation and bringing first-time technologies to India. After successfully establishing DRAM/Flash IC calibration/testing, Om Nanotech Pvt. Ltd. has now ventured into Die Testing for DRAM/Flash, which is again a First in India.
 
Explaining the die testing facility at Om Nanotech’s manufacturing unit, Mr. Atul Khosla, Director, Om Nanotech Pvt. Ltd. said, The Die Testing is a complex process which testing the Die before it is converted to an IC. Die is made from Wafers that are manufactured in highly complex FABS. There are only a handful of DRAM/FLASH FABs globally. Wafers are very thin disks of pure silicon on which minute circuits are etched using very nano-meter lasers. The wafer could have hundreds of Dies’ (circuits) etched in a single wafer. These wafers normally come in 8”, 10” and 12” diameter sizes, which are then cut to produce Die. Die can be perceived as the smallest unit which independently has the complete functionality desired from the IC. This Die is subsequently sent for packaging which involves encapsulating the Die with special plastics (black colored body), after connecting the connector pads on the Die to external terminals using extremely thin gold wires. Die probing requires specialized probes that need handling under a microscope.”

“Along with its contribution in the manufacturing of memory products, we are proud that our manufacturing unit has also resulted as a source of employment for a number of people,” added Mr. Khosla.
 
At the die testing facility, Om Nanotech conducts die probing which ensures that the Die has no inherent problems that may result in low yields after the Die has been packaged into IC . Obviously, the Die that is faulty, results in a faulty packaged IC, leading to wastage of investment on the packaging itself

To master this technology, Om Nanotech Pvt. Ltd. Organized specialized overseas training. The team got extended training and successfully replicated Die Testing at it’s Noida facility, without any further assistance from any external party. Om Nanotech Pvt. Ltd. has currently established a Die Testing capacity of 9 million die per annum.

New Delhi, India, Dubai, UAE, 24th July 2011: The World Land Trust and ethical coloured gemstones mining company, Gemfields, together with Jaguar Land Rover and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA India), have collaborated with ten of India’s top jewellery designers to create a unique ‘pop up’ collection of bespoke Zambian emerald jewellery. Following the success of ‘Emeralds for Elephants’ in London in the summer of 2010, the aim of this collection is to create awareness and raise crucial funds for the conservation initiatives of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) for the Asian Elephant in India. The headline piece of the collection is a Ganesha sculpture with a 638 carat Gemfields Zambian emerald created by renowned artist, Arzan Khambatta.  The collection will be launched in July and will close with a Grand Auction at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai on 14 October 2011. 

As India’s farmlands and cities expand, the Asian Elephant is experiencing large-scale habitat fragmentation and loss.  India is home to 60% of the world’s Asian Elephant population, making their survival in India critical to the survival of the whole species.  An extensive survey across India conducted by WTI resulted in identifying 88 vital corridors for elephant movement. The Wildlife Trust of India with its conservation partners subsequently set about securing these vital corridors, of which the World Land Trust has partnered with WTI in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, southern Indian state of Kerala and the north eastern state of Meghalaya.   Securing corridors for elephants involves working closely with local communities and governments and this renders the entire process time and resource-intensive. WTI and its conservation partner WLT aim to facilitate the creation of conflict-free corridors and improve conservation prospects of the Asian elephant.   

Gemfields has hand-picked ten leading jewellers from around India to create a one-of-a-kind piece or set of jewellery, incorporating Zambian emeralds.  Gemfields’ focus is on ethically produced Zambian emeralds that follow fair-trade, environment, social and safety best practices.  The Company’s unique mine-to-market capability guarantees the provenance of every gem through a full disclosure and certification programme.  The deep green of these gems and the ethical nature of their mining and route to market, form a perfect fit with the World Land Trust’s goals and objectives.

Each designer has created a unique piece /set inspired by the elephants themselves and the corridors that are home to an abundant biodiversity of flora and fauna.  The jewellers are just as diverse in their style and designs; Abaran Jewellers (Bangalore), Anmol Jewellers (Mumbai), Gem Palace (Jaipur), Khanna Jewellers (New Delhi), Meena Jewellers(Hyderabad), Narayan Jewellers (Baroda), Nirav Modi (Mumbai), Sawansukha Jewellers (Kolkata), Talwarsons Jewellers (Chandigarh) and Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers (Chennai).

The collection will go on tour around India to each of the designers’ boutiques from August to October 2011.   On 14 October, Sotheby’s will auction the collection at an exclusive event held in the Taj Mahal Hotel Mumbai, with a percentage of profits from each jewel going towards the World Land Trust’s ‘Indian Elephant Corridor’ project.

John Burton, CEO of World Land Trust, whose patrons include Sir David Attenborough and David Gower, says “Gemfields have not only demonstrated their ethics, but are also committed to helping the natural environment of Elephants, both in Africa where their emeralds are mined, but also in India where many of them are sold.  In 2010 they were one of the major contributors to the programme managed by the Wildlife Trust of India and supported by the World Land Trust, creating corridors to allow elephants to move freely between protected areas.” 

The partnership between World Land Trust and Gemfields is an on-going one and both organisations have long-term aims for their work together.  Ian Harebottle, CEO of Gemfields says that “Gemfields is very pleased to bring Emeralds for Elephants to India this year.  Our London auction for the ‘Indian Elephant Corridor’ project helped to raise a significant amount last year, and we are sure of a good response in India.  Gemfields is proud to have partners who support us wholeheartedly on this initiative and we sincerely hope that our efforts in giving to the environment will help build larger and more viable habitats.”

sponsors include: Jaguar Land Rover, The Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, Sotheby’s, CanazWest Pictures, Mumm Champagne, BVC, Show Stuff and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA India) who have kindly issued the identification report for each piece of jewellery in this collection.