In an exclusive interview with 'The New Jeweller'- UAE Hari Iyer, CEO of Sakthi Trading Group discusses the growth of the organisation over the past decade and its future plan in the bullion and the diamond trading sector. Excerpts from the discussion:

• Can you tell us briefly about 'SAKTHI Trading Group' and the important factors that has led to the growth of the organisation in the international markets?

Over the past decade the management and engineering associates of Sakthi Trading Group has undertaken exhaustive research in the development of Eco- friendly mining technologies and sustainable energy solution for the mining industry. We have successfully managed to emerge as an innovative company that is positioned to change the public perception of mining.

The initiative to explore and develop gold resources in West and East Africa has proven to open incredible opportunities for our group with the view of assembling a high-quality portfolio of gold resource investment options for our investors' consideration. It is this research that justified the formation of Sakthi Trading Group Companies in West and East Africa, a full service provider of high value mining titles/claims leases, turnkey mining operations, resource proving service, public relations and complete mining engineering services for West and East Africa. During this period, Sakthi Trading Group has developed a strong and supportive network of businesses and associates who together provide the basis for the company's extended capabilities and the new vertical markets we are expanding in to.

The position of Sakthi Trading Group is the beginning of a privately-owned investment holding company for the group- IDM Global Holdings (Hong Kong) Limited focusing on investments in to international mining, production management and full mining services companies based in West and East Africa.

Sakthi Trading (West Africa) Ltd and Sakthi Trading (East Africa) Ltd were then formed with the sole purpose to source, acquire and develop a sustainable operational base of better quality with consistent performance and export of precious metals from the West and East African Region, utilizing Ghana and Tanzania as the exit points in Africa to the rest of the world.

In addition, to bringing additional value to all of our services, Sakthi Security Services (SSS), a full service logistic based security company, is being launched in the fourth quarter of 2017. Sakthi Security Services (SSS) is to be headquartered in Tanzania in East and Ghana in the West, with planned expansion into other East and West African countries shortly. Our expansion plans is to service multiple countries in Africa for controlled and secure access to the diamond and gold industry for clients that have no experience or have had unfavorable experiences in the past.

• Which are the markets that the company is currently servicing and what are the verticals that you are focusing on?

Sakthi Trading Group is a global leader in gold, precious, rare earth, base metals and diamond based commodities. We only provide Gold and high quality diamonds from conflict-free zones of the world. Our Mining companies are innovative mining companies servicing the precious metals industries.

At Sakthi Trading Group, we tailor our services and offerings according to the precise needs of our customers.

We source economically viable commodities such as gold and rough uncut diamonds from a wide range of locatons. We improve market efficiency by extending commodity access through deploying security and risk free logistics.

Sakthi Trading Group sources gold dore and diamonds from the mines, production companies and national governments worldwide. We also work with smaller producers that seek marketing expertise to help distribute their products worldwide.

• What is your take on the company's plans on acquiring and developing mining assets in the African region? How do you think this strategy will help the growth of the organisation's revenues?

Sakthi Trading (West Africa) Ltd and Sakthi Trading (East Africa) Ltd are the mining services arms of SAKTHI's expansion plans in Africa. These companies services mining operations and high value commodity acquisition and export services for Asia Pacific, Europe and Middle Eastern clients.

156% is our estimated revenue growth in the mining industry for the next three years (2017 - 19)

Sakthi Trading Group companies in mining has become recognized as an innovative, privately held international trade group and mining companies. In the next three years, we are executing a business strategy focused solely on the acquisition and development of small-to-medium sized gold exploration and mining assets throughout the Africa. One critical point of difference between SAKTHI'S and other mining and mining services companies is our multi disciplinary approach to success. Today mining is a complex, highly regulated, multi-stakeholder, globally-situated activity requiring access to the right people, information, and knowledge at the right time.

• SAKTHI Trading is also involved in processing and refining. Can you detail more on this subject?

SAKTHI provides innovative, sustainable and cost effective precious metal refining technologies for small to mid - sized production needs. Our experience dates backthree generations with engineering and processing equipment integrations. We pride ourselves in the development of excellent first class yields and lowest processing cycle times in the industry.

Despite modern refinery solutions for silver, gold and platinum group metals (PGMs), we also offer corresponding equipment, processing plants and associated services in the fields of:

Ore based crushing & processing equipment, Bulk materiale lectrolysis , High temperature chlorination or calcination processes, Hydrometallurgical processes, Precious metal refining technologies.

Technologies developed or further improved by us are characterized by a high level of automation, a closed-loop process approach, highest quality and envirnonmental standards as well as excellent levels of productivity. For 2017-2018 we are currently developing a cutting edge Plasma-Arc smelting system designed to eliminate toxic emission such as arsenic.

• Lastly, Can you describe the Company's strengths?

The key to success in suppling high value physical commoditiesis get to the source. A company has to be sitting on the source to achieve the most flexibility and ability to adapt to market conditions. Sakthi only works direct at the source suppliers of Gold and Diamond commodities.

2017 is already shaping up to be a stellar year for Sakthi Group and our family of companies. With the expansion in to Sub Saharan Africa via Sakthi Trading Ltd Group companies and Sakthi Security Services (3S) being planned, we are able to platform a greatly expanded sourcing platform and well - rounded services for the world market.

The key to success in sourcing Gold and Diamond based commodities is in the relationship you build and importantly, being on the ground in the regions of the world where the extraction occurs. Security always becomes a major challenge. With our launch of Sakthi Security Services (3S) in west and east Africa we will be able to not only offer security services to the open market, we will be able to, without question secure our own supply chains and effectively mitigate the local risk in our business. Africa possesses extensive opportunities for the Sakthi Group family and importantly affords us the opportunity to help people in need of technological advancements and social projects that benifit children.