Indian company offers stone expertise help to GGMC

GUYANA - The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) yesterday received semi-precious stone samples from Indian stone mining giant, Gem Group of companies. Chairman of Gem Group, R. Veeramani, and the Director of Gem Granites, R. Gunasekaran, paid a courtesy call on Acting Commission, Newell Dennison, yesterday and made the donation.

Veeramani, who also chairs the Development Panel for Granite Industry within India’s Ministry of Industry, told Commissioner Dennison that his company has assisted other countries with the promotion and development of their stone industries.“We help other countries in establishing the market and to promote their material,” Veeramani said.

Dennison, according to a release on the visit, posited that establishing this collaboration would help to improve the GGMC’s lapidary section which remains underdeveloped and under promoted. Acting Commissioner of GGMC, Newell Dennison, examining some of the stone samples in the presence of Chairman of Gem Group, R. Veeramani. “Perhaps this is a good time to see how we can raise the profile and get the lapidary back on proper footing,” Dennison said. Verramani is credited with promoting India’s stone industry, whose export market is valued around $2B. India has identified 200 varieties of stones and Gem Group has branded more than 70 varieties of those stones.

A sample of these stones was presented to be displayed in the GGMC’s library. “Those varieties that they are going to leave with us will certainly put it on a different platform,” Dennison pointed out. Gem Group is on a five-day scoping mission to explore investment opportunities in Guyana.

(Kaieteurnews)