Surat Diamond Bourse

When the world’s largest commercial office building needed a security and access solution, it demanded a system that could not only match its scale but also cater to its multi-disciplinary purpose. Beyond opening doors, the building needed a solution that could unlock greater functionality, usability, and efficiency while ensuring the protection of people and assets. 

In December 2023, the Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB) opened its doors as India’s second diamond trading hub. Described as a ‘one-stop’ destination for over 67,000 diamond professionals, the 15-story complex, spread across more than 35 acres, and comprising over 6.6 million square feet of floor space, is the world’s largest single complex. Boasting an impressive nine towers and containing an independent customs office, international banking facilities, and diamond-testing laboratories, SDB is a feat of design on mass scale. 

The iconic landmark sits proudly in the heart of Surat and offers unobstructed views from every one of its 4700 offices, and the official opening was officiated by India’s Prime Minister, Shri. Narendra Modi.  

Innovative security to meet the needs of a state-of-the-art building 

The objectives for the build of SDB were multi-faceted, from the promotion of imports, exports and trading of diamonds and gems from across India, to providing state-of-the-art infrastructure to the organizations engaged in diamond manufacturing and trading, the building’s purpose was multi-disciplinary and demanded scalability. 

SDB chose Gallagher Security’s award-winning site management platform, Command Centre to secure the complex and provide a seamless, integrated security experience to prioritize security, safety, and convenience for staff and visitors. 

Trusted to protect some of the world’s most critical infrastructure, Command Centre integrates with a wide variety of systems and hardware, creating a single operating platform which manages the complexities of total site security.

Gallagher Security, General Manager – India, Deneshkumar V explains, “Surat Diamond Bourse, faced several security issues, primarily stemming from the large scale and complexity of the facility. Among other requirements, they wanted to implement a high-tech, cardless access control solution integrated with biometric systems to ensure secure, efficient, and seamless movement of people within the vast premises of the site.”

A scalable solution made for today’s volume and tomorrow’s growth

With multiple gates spread across the complex’s 35 acres, managing the movement of people and vehicles efficiently and securely was a significant challenge for SDB. The client wanted to avoid traditional access methods including physical gate cards or manual entry systems that could be slow, prone to human error, or easily bypassed. It was crucial that the solution was scalable to accommodate large volumes of foot and vehicle traffic without causing delays or bottlenecks whilst maintaining robust security.

Command Centre provides multi-layer security. For visitors, access control was integrated with biometric verification including fingerprint and facial recognition or RFID badges. For vehicles, the system used license plate recognition to identify authorized vehicles at the gates. The integrated systems prevented unauthorized entry into the building and parking areas. 

“As a large, growing facility, SDB required a solution that could scale with their needs and easily adapt to changes in visitor traffic or security protocols without requiring manual intervention or increasing the time security staff spent managing visitor checks ins, vehicle access and parking. The result was an automated system that reduced manual processes by automatically granting vehicle access without delays, and handling parking management dynamically based on real-time availability, freeing up security personnel to focus on critical tasks and contributing towards greater operational efficiency,” says Denesh.

The flexibility of Gallagher’s solution ensures the system will grow with SDB, without requiring a complete overhaul of the system. Its future-proof design ensures scalability, flexibility, and ease of use and boosts operational efficiency.