GIA India

Amit Pratihari is a seasoned retail leader with more than 25 years of experience spanning fashion, watches, lifestyle, and—most prominently—the diamond industry. Before joining GIA India, he served as Managing Director of De Beers India and Forevermark India, where he played a pivotal role in driving growth across India and the Middle East. During his decade-long tenure with De Beers, Amit held progressively senior roles in their India retail operations. He began his professional journey in Rourkela, Odisha, and went on to build an accomplished career with brands such as Forever 21, Swatch Group, Weekender, and Nike.

Forum Javeri leads the development and execution of strategies for GIA’s emerging service offerings. Since joining GIA India in 2008, she has progressed through key roles across laboratory operations, quality assurance and customer service. With nearly two decades of experience in the diamond industry, Forum is a GIA Graduate Gemologist® and Applied Jewelry Professional^TM. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce from Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai.

Fredy Hansotia brings extensive experience across general management, human resources, corporate planning, and project management. An engineer by training, he also holds an MBA from Mumbai University. At GIA India, Fredy leads the Mumbai as well Surat laboratories operations, ensuring excellence in processes, people, and service delivery.

Shweta Dubey has been with GIA India for more than 15 years, leading functions across Human Resources, Operations, and Customer Engagement. In her current role, she oversees the Employee Experience group—which includes HR, Administration and Security—and serves as the organization’s Inclusion & Diversity (I&D) champion. Earlier in her tenure, she managed key client relationships and supervised laboratory operations across pre- and post-grading functions. Shweta holds a Master of Management Studies in Human Resources from Mumbai University and is a SHRM-Senior Certified Professional. Her strengths include organizational leadership, people strategy and fostering an inclusive workplace culture.

Anand Jani brings more than 22 years of experience in the IT and ITES industry, with deep expertise in organization design, large-scale operations, execution, and enterprise innovation. At GIA India, he oversees pre- and post-grading laboratory operations, focusing on operational excellence, capability building, compliance, and process optimization. Before joining GIA India, he served as Head of Business Operations for one of Capgemini’s largest global business lines, leading multi-geography teams, strengthening governance, and driving major transformation initiatives. A Design Thinking practitioner, Anand has completed executive education programs with INSEAD and Stoa School.

Arjun Pansari brings diverse experience across luxury brand management, global jewelry markets and gemological education. He holds an MBA in Luxury Brand Management from ESSEC Business School, Paris, where he gained exposure to competitive international luxury brands. Arjun has worked across the global jewelry supply chain, leading sales and business development for a prominent Indian exporter and later heading a vertical for a reputed domestic jewelry manufacturer, focusing on collectible jewelry. His association with GIA began in 2009, supporting educational outreach through lab classes and seminars. A skilled instructor, he has delivered GIA gemology diplomas, lab classes, and skill-building seminars across India. Prior to this, he worked as an independent consultant creating bespoke handmade jewelry.

Austin Gomes has more than 25 years of experience across diverse industries, where he has played a key role in advancing technology adoption and digital transformation. He holds an MBA from Welingkar Institute of Management and an M.Sc. in Information Technology from Sikkim Manipal University. He has also completed the Program on Digital Strategies from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, further strengthening his expertise in technology leadership.

Harshit Shah has more than 15 years of experience in finance, accounting, taxation, corporate statutory compliance, debt management, and transaction structuring. A qualified Chartered Accountant and Company Secretary, he brings strong financial and regulatory expertise to his role. Before joining GIA India, Harshit worked with Deloitte, one of the Big Four audit and consulting firms.

With nearly two decades of cross-functional experience in business development and strategic market expansion, Jayant Kulkarni leads national initiatives to strengthen GIA India’s brand presence and drive growth across the country’s dynamic gem and jewelry landscape. He has nearly 15 years of experience in the gem and jewelry industry, having worked with gemological laboratories and trade associations across key markets in India and the Middle East. Jayant holds an MBA in Marketing and International Business from MITCON, Pune.

Karan Mehta has 20 years of experience across laboratory operations and gemological services, with a strong focus on operational excellence, people leadership, and customer-centric delivery. He joined GIA in 2008 and has since progressed through roles of increasing responsibility. Currently, he oversees end-to-end laboratory operations in Surat and works closely with cross-functional and global stakeholders. He has earned a GIA Graduate Gemologist®, Pearls Graduate, and Applied Jewelry Professional^TM along with an MBA from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies.

Kavita Sethia Gambhir is a qualified Chartered Accountant with more than 17 years of experience, specializing in international taxation and transfer pricing. She oversees the full spectrum of taxation functions for GIA’s business entities in India, bringing deep technical expertise and a strong compliance-oriented approach to her role.

Kedar Raul brings more than 25 years of diverse experience across oil and gas, shipbuilding, precious metal refining, and the gems and jewelry sector. At GIA India, he provides strategic and operational leadership in organizational development, operations management, and manufacturing supply chain functions. A Mechanical Engineer by qualification, Kedar has also completed the Senior Management Education Program from the Indian Institute of Management Kozhikode.