Gen-Next Diamantaires - 7 Young Visionaries

There is nothing more powerful than young people willing to pull all stops to make something happen. Today, India is one of the youngest nations in the world with more than 54% of the total population below the age of 25 years. Our diamond industry too is young and effervescent, in the able hands of next-gen entrepreneurs who are giving it their all to steer the industry in the right direction. Vijetha Rangabashyam in conversation with the diamond industry’s future

- Vijetha Rangabashyam

I would like to see more younger women workforce in the industry - Shivika Poonglia Patel, Itara Jewelry

Shivika Poonglia Patel would visit her grandfather’s factory as a child on Saturdays. “We would get pizzas for lunch and watch my grandfather and father deal with gemstones. It was a lot of fun. If a diamond fell on the floor, my brother and I would look for it.” Shivika’s father, Shirish Poonglia, moved to Mumbai from Jaipur to start the diamond business under the name Concorde International. “Even though I have studied abroad and gained experience in other mediums, the jewellery business came very easily to me as I have literally grown up in that atmosphere,” she says. She forayed into the business in 2019. “When I came in, my father told me one thing – there are too many people doing this, so I have to differentiate myself. Whether it is quality, service or design, there has to be that one thing that makes us stand out, otherwise, we will get lost in this space.”

Shivika heads the lab-grown diamond division, Itara Jewelry, even though her experience has been in natural diamonds. “Being from this generation and having different exposure, the whole idea behind lab-grown diamonds really resonated with me as they are environment-friendly, conflict-free and more affordable. You can also have fun with the designs because of the lower price point.” Shivika started Itara Jewelry with her partner Rohaan Rayani in August 2020. She did her business administration at the University of Southern California. “Through my education and past work experiences, I learnt how to run and market a business.”