An indigenous High Pressure High Temperature (HPHT) diamond press developed under the India Centre for Lab Grown Diamond (InCent-LGD) at IIT Madras has successfully completed prototype trials, producing good-quality HPHT rough diamonds.

The development comes three years after the Union government announced funding for research into indigenous machinery, seeds and process technology for lab-grown diamonds. The project has a sanctioned outlay of ₹242 crore.

According to industry sources, the prototype trials delivered encouraging results both for the performance of the press and the process parameters used for diamond growth. The prototype combines commercially available technology with research undertaken by IIT Madras scientists.

“Using the prototype, a good quality HPHT rough was grown by InCent. This also highlights how locally available material was successfully used to develop the product,” said a diamond industry expert familiar with the development.

The project has now moved to the next stage, involving development of a full-scale HPHT press. Full-size components have been manufactured in North India and shipped to IIT Madras for integration and testing, while inputs from different parts of India are being sourced to standardise materials and process parameters.

GJEPC sources said development of the HPHT technology and raw-material trials are nearing completion. A formal announcement on the locally developed capability is expected in November.

India imported $594 million worth of rough lab-grown diamonds from China and Hong Kong during 2025-26. Domestic HPHT capability could reduce dependence on imported roughs and equipment.