Malabar Gold & Diamonds (MGD), the sixth largest jewellery retailer globally with over 355 showrooms across 13 countries, has been honoured with the India Gold Conference Responsible Jewellery House Award for 2023-24.The award acknowledges the MGD’s dedication to procuring responsibly mined gold and diamonds from legitimate sources, ensuring that every piece of jewellery is crafted with the highest standards of purity and integrity, a statement said.O Asher, the managing director of India operations at the MGD, received the award from India Gold Policy Centre chairperson Dr Sundaravalli Narayanswamy at a function in Bengaluru.Also in attendance were MGD business development head Sitaraman Varadarajan, bullion head Dileep Narayanan, Finmet PTE director Sunil Kashyap, Rand Refinery chief executive Praveen Baijnath, and MGD Karnataka regional head Filsor Babu.Speaking on the occasion, Malabar Group chairman M P Ahammed expressed his gratitude and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to ethical practices.“We are committed to ensuring that gold and diamonds are sourced ethically, from legitimate origins, free from exploitation,” he said. “We uphold this commitment from the moment gold is mined to the final product reaching our customers.”“From using only the most sustainably sourced raw materials in our jewellery to incorporating numerous environment-friendly features across our showrooms and offices, we have strived to be a model organisation that embodies the spirit of a responsible brand,” said Shamlal Ahamed, the managing director of international operations at the MGD.“We ensure that the gold bars we buy and sell are responsible and fully legal,” Asher said. “We use London Bullion Market Association quality certified London Good Delivery Bars, Dubai Good Delivery Bars and HUID Hallmarked Indian Good Delivery Bars.”“The policies we have enacted in the avenues of Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism have enabled us to position ourselves as a brand that is an integral part of society,” said Malabar Group vice-chairman Abdul Salam K P.“These policies are routinely strengthened to remain a socially conscious and responsible organisation,” he said.