IIT Madras push for self-reliance in Lab-Grown Diamonds and advanced applications

Intensive efforts are underway at the IIT Madras laboratories to create diamonds, considered among the most expensive in the world and make them available for public use. In this regard, the Centre has allocated Rs 242 crore for research on lab-grown diamonds (LGD) at IIT Madras. Professor Ramachandra Rao of the Department of Physics at IIT Madras said, “We (IIT Madras) have developed several technologies for the industrial, aerospace, and defence sectors.”

Diamonds can even be used to make semiconductors. Nano diamonds also play a significant role in cancer treatment, said Rao. “With the aim of making India a leader in the production of high-quality diamond crystals, we are going to increase our research and development efforts in diamond growth. Furthermore, we will make the diamonds produced in the IIT Madras laboratory available for public use within a year,” he said.

The lab-grown diamonds possess all the properties and chemical components equivalent to natural diamonds. At the same time, researchers state that they are available at a lower price than natural diamonds. Diamonds have secured an indispensable place in many fields, from healthcare to technology. India is the leading country in diamond polishing and ranks second in lab-grown diamond production.

In this context, to enable India to achieve self-sufficiency in diamond demand and industrial development, the ‘Indian Lab-Grown Diamond Centre’ was established at IIT Madras in 2023 under a central government scheme and is being operated by distinguished professors.