Gems, jewellery exports slump 38% to $1.36 bn in July as Covid-19 bites

India's exports fell 38% in July from a year ago to $1.36 billion as shipments of cut and polished diamonds plunged because of the novel coronavirus, a trade organisation said on Thursday.

The industry was hit twice because of the coronavirus, with export orders evaporating and then a shortage of workers caused by a national lockdown to stop the spread of the virus.

India's cut and polished diamond exports in July fell 39% from a year ago to $918.4 million, the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) said in a statement.

In the April to July period, cut and