The board of directors of GIA India Laboratory Pvt. Ltd. (GIA India) has appointed Amit Pratihari as managing director, responsible for all aspects of GIA India’s gemological laboratories in Mumbai and Surat, as well as the GIA India school in Mumbai. Reporting to the board of directors of GIA India, he assumed his responsibilities on October 1.

“Amit’s deep experience in retail and brand management, including more than a decade in the diamond industry, make him ideally suited to build on the success and importance of the GIA India laboratories,’ said Sriram Natarajan, a director on the GIA India board and senior vice president of laboratory operations for the Gemological Institute of America, Inc. (GIA), the parent organization of GIA India. “His expertise in strategic growth and team leadership is especially relevant given India’s importance to the global diamond market and its emerging role as a key consumer market.”

“I am deeply honored to join GIA India,” said Pratihari. "GIA India is a vital part of the diamond industry in India and around the world. I look forward to contributing to the ongoing success of GIA India.”

Before joining GIA India, Pratihari was managing director of De Beers India and Forevermark India, where he played an important role in expanding in India and the Middle East. For the previous ten years, he held increasing responsibilities in De Beers retail in India, building on his prior ten years of experience in consumer-facing retail and brand management.