Surat is a city in Gujarat, India. It used to be a large seaport but now it is the most popular center for diamond polishing and cutting. It is the eight largest city and ninth largest urban agglomeration in India. It is located on the Tapi river, and near Arabian sea.
Surat is the first fastest growing city in 2018 according to a study conducted by the City Mayors Foundation. Surat is also known as Diamond City of India as it i sfamous for diamond cutting and polishing.
Surat is a major hub of diamond cutting and polishing.The first diamond workshops in Gujarat appeared in Surat and Navasari. The major group people working in the hub are from the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Because of demand in the American market from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s, Surat’s diamond industry grew tremendously. Currently most of the diamond polishing workshops are running in the Varachha area of Surat, mostly by the people of the Patel community.
Around the world, 8 out of 10 diamonds on the market were cut and polished in Surat. This industry earns India about US$10 billion in annual exports. The rough diamonds are mined in South Africa and other regions of the African continent.
Surat is alsoknown for producing textiles, including silk. Surat is known as the textile hub of the nation or the Silk City of India. It is very famous for its cotton mills and Surati Zari Craft. Surat is the biggest centre of MMF (man-made fibre) in India. It has a total of 381 dyeing and printing mills and 41,100 powerloom units. There are over a hundred thousand units and mills in total. The overall annual turnover is around 5 billion rupees. There are over 800 cloth wholesalers in Surat. It is the largest manufacturer of clothes in India, and Surti dress material can be found in any state of India. Surat produces 9 million metres of fabric annually, which accounts for 60% of the total polyester cloth production in India. Now the city is focusing on increasing the exports of its textile.[
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