India to continue upskillingNamibian diamond workers

Iindia will continue helping Namibia through capacity building and skills transfer, especially in the diamond-processing sector.

This was said by Indian high commissioner to Namibia Mandarapu Subbarayudu at the long-service awards ceremony to honour workers at Indian company KGK Namibia diamond-processing factory in Prosperita last week.

Subbarayudu said many Indian companies, including the KGK Group had sent employees to India for capacity building and skills development.

He said Namibia and India share a very close historic and long-standing relationship, which is not just transactional, but is based on convictions, values, concerns and destinies.

“We are two strong democracies and we know each other very well and we want to support each other, and something which is very important in this relationship is skills development,” he said and quoted vice president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah when she was deputy prime minister as saying: “Resources plus skills equal prosperity.”

“Namibia is blessed with resources, but if you do not have matching skills, then you cannot realise prosperity. So in that context capacity building is crucial and has been one of the important dimensions of our partnership,” Subbarayudu said.

“I would like to convey my deep appreciation to the KGK Group for being the first to add local production (value addition) to capacity building and skills development component,” he said.

Subbarayudu also said the company had various initiatives for the welfare of employees, including a daycare centre for use by mothers who work at the company.

“There are also plans to send more employees to India to give them additional training. I remember one returning employee sharing his impression about his stay in India, which he wanted to be the best of the best.

“That ambition is natural for our two countries, because Namibia and India are young countries of which the average populations are aged around 25 years. So that means you have to be ambitious and work very hard,” he said.

Subbarayudu congratulated KGK Namibia for recognising its most important resource, the workers and the Ministry of Mines and Energy, for a conducive environment in the diamond sector, which contributes a significant part to the economy.

KGK Namibia yesterday presented certificates of appreciation to 41 workers in recognition of their dedication and five years’ service to the company.

Managing director of KGK Sandeep Kothari said the event was to honour long-serving employees, most of whom have been with the company since it was established in Namibia’s Prosperita industrial area in 2017.

“We are honoured to have the presence of Mr Mandarapu Subbarayudu, the esteemed high commissioner of India in Namibia, at this celebratory occasion.

“His attendance has added prestige and significance to the event, highlighting the strong ties between India and Namibia,” Kothari said.

He said the company greatly values the expertise and experience accumulated by its long-serving employees and remains steadfast in its commitment to their continuous growth and success.

“We are incredibly proud of our long-serving employees who have significantly contributed to our company’s growth and success.

Their dedication and commitment are invaluable to us and this event is a celebration of their achievements,” said Sandeep Kothari.
– email: matthew@namibian.com