Surat diamond firm gifts 1,268 employees cars, flats, jewellery for Diwali

Savjibhai Dholakiya, chairman and managing director of Surat-based diamond firm Hari Krishna Exports, has gifted 1,268 employees, including cleaning staff, with presents worth Rs4 lakh each, allowing them to buy cars, flats or jewellery as they like.

This unprecedented Diwali bonanza is apart from the annual Diwali bonus, the company said.

The employees were given options varying from flats, cars and jewellery. While 491 of them opted for Fiat cars, 570 chose jewellery while 207 who did not own a house yet, took deposits for two-bed room apartments as annual incentive.

The gifts were handed over on Sunday at a function organised at a sprawling ground where brand new Fiat Punto cars were seen neatly parked.

Dholakiya, 55, said his employees deserved big rewards for their hard work and loyalty. His firms exports polished diamonds to 75 countries. The gifts were given under the company's loyalty programme worth Rs500 crore.

The employees earn points in 25 criteria under this programme. Dholakiya's company has achieved a turnover of Rs6,000 crore a year with the total number of workers and employees rising to over 9,000 in Surat, Mumbai and abroad.

"Besides Diwali bonus, which is given to all employees, we have been running a programme to reward loyal, hardworking and dedicated staff. After one-year of evaluation of their performance, we have selected 1,268 such employees," Hari Krishna Exports Chairman and Managing Director Savaji Dholakia said here today.

Out of its 6,000 employees, the management selected 1,268 employees for their exceptional work, devotion and loyalty towards the company, Dholakia said.

"We have allotted Rs4 lakh to each of these employees, which comes to around Rs50 crore. It was left to them to choose which gift they want. For example, those who had a car and a flat, opted for jewellery. This will boost their morale and encourage them and others to work hard," Dholakia said.

Meanwhile, Fiat Group Automobiles India said it has delivered the biggest single bulk order of 455 Punto cars to a prominent business house in Surat.

"The order comprises of 190 Punto Evo 1.2 Petrol and 265 Punto Evo 1.3 Diesel in New Pearl White and Minimal Grey colours was taken by Sukrit Autolink, Fiat's exclusive dealer in Surat," the auto maker said in a statement.

The 1,268 employees of Hari Krishna Exports range from managers to diamond polishers to even cleaning staff, Dholakia said.

Hari Krishna Exports had posted a turnover of over Rs6,000 crore last year, he said.