Rio Tinto has announced the appointment of Tarun Malkani to lead its Bunder diamonds project in Madhya Pradesh, India.%% Malkani will take up the position of Chief Operating Officer, India for Rio Tinto’s diamonds business on July 1. Malkani, an engineer by training, will be joining the diamonds business as the Bunder project moves into the advanced stages of its pre-feasibility study. %% Commenting on the new appointment, Bruce Cox, Managing Director of Rio Tinto Diamonds said, “I am delighted that Tarun is joining the diamonds business in India at such a pivotal time in the development of the Bunder project. Tarun’s extensive experience in a number of diverse industries, both in established and emerging markets will be invaluable in identifying opportunities for advancing Rio Tinto’s diamond business in India.”%% Most recently Malkani was Director for Rio Tinto’s aluminium business in India. Under his leadership the aluminium business grew strongly with a sharp focus on health and safety while implementing projects for customers in remote sites in India. Prior to joining Rio Tinto Tarun was based in Singapore, most recently as the Global Marketing Head, for Solutia’s architectural business where he successfully developed and implemented business strategies in Asian and global settings. %% According to Malkani, “These are exciting times for the Indian diamond industry. I am looking forward to working with the team at Bunder and building on our reputation in India as a valued partner across the whole diamond supply chain.” %%