All that glitters: Book detailing rise and fall of Nirav Modi to hit the stands on Friday

NEW DELHI: The story of the fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi will fill the pages of an upcoming book, 'Flawed: The Rise and Fall of India's Diamond Mogul Nirav Modi'.

Hitting the stands on August 31, the book written by journalist-author Pavan C Lall will shed light on one of the biggest financial scandals in India, and profile of the man allegedly behind it.

Modi, 48, currently lodged in a prison in London, is wanted in India in connection with the nearly USD 2 billion Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud.


"It traces Nirav Modi's early years and his roots in the business, his association with his uncle Mehul Choksi and the phenomenal success he achieved till his taste for the high life led to circumstances that are any entrepreneur's worst nightmare," said publishing house Hachette in a statement.

Based on personal encounters, incisive interviews and meticulous research, the book claims to "expose the incredible twists and turns of the Nirav Modi story".

A third-generation diamantaire, Modi, moved from Belgium to India and with time became an astute businessman whose firm grip over an intercontinental supply chain saw his branded jewellery stores dotting not just every Indian metropolis but also marquee locations in foreign lands like London, New York and Hong Kong.

Modi's diamond-encrusted designs were worn by stars like Kate Winslet, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Naomi Watts, while the Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra-Jonas appeared in advertisements for the brand.

According to Forbes, Wharton-dropout Nirav Modi has a net worth of $1.73 billion. He is said to have learned the tricks of the trade from his maternal uncle Mehul Choksi, the CMD of popular jewellery brand Gitanjali Gems, who has been in Antigua since the allegations emerged, is also wanted by the Indian authorities.

"As the Nirav Modi saga – complete with his arrest on international soil, rejected bail pleas, extradition theatrics and the frenzied pursuit of diamond-trading minutiae by investigative agencies across three nations – continues to make headlines.

"...'Flawed' recounts in close, compelling detail the rise of a global player and his equally dramatic fall. Arresting and revelatory, it raises indispensable questions about how one man's drive to succeed at all costs can jeopardize an entire ecosystem," they added.