INTERVIEW - SACHIN JAIN

De Beers is undergoing an unprecedented transformation by returning to the root and adding its tag of assurance to develop a fortified position for its partners and indisputable trust for consumers in years to come. Ahead of the De Beers Forevermark annual Forum 2021, Soma Bhatta speaks to Sachin Jain, MD, Forevermark India, about the massive internal and external changes that the organization is undergoing and what it means for De Beers’ Indian stakeholders.

- Soma Bhatta

Soma Bhatta (SB): Tell us about the strategic shift in the way De beers is approaching the market worldwide.

Sachin Jain (SJ): 2021 is an exciting and transformative year for De Beers, as we continue our journey to inspire desire for natural diamonds and offer consumers design-driven jewellery. Consumers increasingly expect brands to prove they are a demonstrable force for good - in their sourcing practices, impact on local communities, commitment to environmentally responsible operations, and support to social causes. We believe this notion of social purpose will come to sit at the heart of the consumer proposition for all luxury brands – and even more so when it comes to highly meaningful luxury purchases such as diamonds.

The De Beers name is iconic in the diamond industry, and De Beers has long been recognised as the global expert and authority on diamonds. Our priority is threefold – to create a step-change in how we connect our products to our purpose in the emerging consumer landscape; to double down on the unique diamond expertise of De Beers, which is what differentiates the brand and our houses from all other diamond jewellery brands; and to ensure that every dollar we at De Beers invest in communicating to consumers, whether focused on branded or corporate campaigns, creates the biggest impact possible for our partners.

SB: De Beers partners with the diamond industry at multiple levels. How will the renewed outlook impact the various stakeholders?