A 15-story complex that covers over 35 acres of land and has more than 7.1 million square feet of floor space– yes, this is the Surat Diamond Bourse building, that has become the world’s largest office building, surpassing the mighty Pentagon in the US.
The Surat Diamond Bourse is expected to boost the local economy and save thousands of people from commuting to Mumbai, where most of the diamond trading used to take place so far. It is also seen as a symbol of India’s rising prominence in the global diamond market and a testament to the country’s engineering and architectural prowess.
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>The Surat Diamond Bourse is designed to house the world’s largest community of diamond traders, cutters, and polishers, who account for about 90% of the global diamond processing industry.
>The building features over 4,700 office spaces, 131 elevators, and various amenities such as dining, retail, wellness, and conference facilities. It aims to be a convenient hub for over 65,000 diamond experts.
>The construction of the Surat Diamond Bourse concluded on 1 August 2023. A week later, it was officially acknowledged by Guinness World Records as the world’s largest office building.
>Prime Minister Narendra Modi also inaugurated a new integrated terminal building at Surat Airport, which has been recently designated international status. This will increase connectivity to the diamond hub from the world over.