Leadership
At IDT, leadership is defined by responsibility, continuity, and accountability. As a certification-first organisation, IDT is guided by professionals entrusted with upholding accuracy, integrity, and long-term credibility across every report we issue and every market we serve. The leadership team reflects stewardship of standards, institutional thinking, and a sustained commitment to the gems and jewellery industry.
Gaurav Issar
Founder – IDT Gemological Laboratories Worldwide
Founder’s Note
IDT was founded in 2003 on a simple but demanding belief: a certificate must serve truth before it serves trade.
In an industry where value is often assumed rather than verified, certification carries a responsibility that extends beyond documentation. It must protect confidence, withstand scrutiny, and remain unaffected by convenience or commercial pressure. IDT was created to uphold this responsibility with discipline and consistency.
From its inception, IDT has operated as an institution rather than a personality-led enterprise. Our methodologies are designed to be repeatable, auditable, and independent, ensuring that every certificate reflects measured reality rather than interpretation. This philosophy guides how we build our laboratories, train our gemologists, develop technology, and expand across markets.
As materials, treatments, and supply chains continue to evolve, the role of certification becomes more critical, not less. IDT exists to provide clarity in this complexity — quietly, accurately, and without compromise. The true measure of a laboratory is not visibility, but reliability over time, and IDT remains committed to protecting the integrity of certification for generations to come.
Karamjeet Singh Kathuria
Managing Director – Middle East & Africa (MEA)
Karamjeet Singh oversees IDT’s operations and strategic growth across the Middle East and Africa region. With extensive industry experience, he is responsible for strengthening IDT’s international presence while ensuring that certification practices remain fully aligned with the laboratory’s standards. His role focuses on operational integrity, regional compliance, and building long-term trust with trade stakeholders across global markets.
Dr. Lori Issar
Director – Institutional Communications & Representation
Dr. Lori Issar oversees IDT’s institutional communications and public representation across platforms and markets. She leads the conceptualisation and execution of IDT’s visual identity and external communication across industry engagements. Her role ensures that IDT’s public-facing presence consistently reflects the organisation’s values of precision, credibility, and professionalism.
Dr. Jitarani Udgata
Vice President
Dr. Jitarani Udgata leads the development of IDT’s corporate business and plays a key role in driving organisational expansion. Her responsibilities include strengthening institutional partnerships, identifying growth opportunities, and aligning business development initiatives with IDT’s certification-led philosophy. She contributes to shaping IDT’s long-term expansion strategy while maintaining a strong focus on credibility and standards.
Ravikant Tripathi
General Manager
Ravikant Tripathi spearheads the development of new services and product initiatives at IDT, contributing to the organisation’s evolving service portfolio. He plays a key role in translating emerging requirements into structured, certification-aligned offerings. In addition, he oversees IDT’s operations and client engagement across the Maharashtra region, ensuring consistency, compliance, and effective execution.
Ankita Pathak
Human Resources
Ms. Ankita Pathak oversees human resources at IDT, supporting the organisation’s people, processes, and professional standards. Her role focuses on talent development, organisational alignment, and maintaining a structured and ethical workplace culture. She works closely with leadership to ensure that IDT’s institutional values are reflected consistently across teams and operations.
Ashish Buaria
Lab Head – Middle East
Ashish Buaria heads IDT’s laboratory operations in the Middle East, bringing a strong technical background and deep grading expertise to the region. As an experienced grader, he is known for his uncompromising approach to accuracy, consistency, and adherence to laboratory standards. His role is central to maintaining the integrity of IDT’s certification processes and upholding technical excellence across Middle East operations.
