For stark signs of how the global economic downturn has affected India, look no further than the diamond polishers of Surat and their industry’s accounts in December.
Diamonds are one of India’s great business success stories from the past 30 years. One of the country’s key export sectors, its polishers import rough diamonds, cut and then export them to the big jewellery markets of the US, the Gulf and Europe.

The new India 