Surat

Surat, the second-largest city in Gujarat, is one of the fastest growing tier-II cities in India. It is also the administrative capital of the Surat district. Ranked among the largest urban agglomerations in India, the city is a hub for numerous sectors of economy, most notably the diamond, textile and silk industries. For this reason, Surat is also known as the Diamond City, Textile City and Silk City of India.

Besides diamond and textile units, the other major industries thriving in the city are information technology, education and healthcare.

Geographically, Surat lies on the banks of the Tapti River. It is surrounded by the Bharuch and Narmada districts in the north, the Navsari and Dang districts in the south and the Gulf of Cambay in the west. Surat experiences a tropical Savanna climate which is strongly influenced by the Arabian Sea.

The presence of a strong industrial sector in Surat invites an influx of migrants from across the country. Affordable prices, convenient public transport, serene ambience, excellent education facilities, great employment and self-employment potentials and entertainment facilities have contributed to Surat’s booming real estate market.

Stats and Facts

• The population of Surat, as per the provisional reports of the 2011 Census, is 4,462,002. The urban/metropolitan population, on the other hand, is 4,585,367
• As per the Census 2011 reports, Surat has a sex ratio of 758 per 1000 males. The child sex ratio is 813 per 1000 boys
• The average literacy rate in the city is 89.03%
• The city of Surat was previously known as Suryapur
• Surat ranked 8th in India with a GDP of $40 billion in fiscal year 2011-2012
• The city accounts for 90% of the world’s total rough diamond cutting and polishing and 99.99% of India’s total rough diamond cutting and polishing
• The city of Surat ranks as the 3rd cleanest city in India

Diamond and Textile Industries

• The city is known for its diamond and textile industries
• Surat is the largest manufacturer of clothes in India. Apart from producing world-class synthetic textiles, Surat is also known for producing silk
• The Federation of Surat Textile Traders Association (FOSTTA) is an association of textile processing units of the Surat Textile Market
• Surat has become an important center for industrial growth in India. Reputed companies like Ultratech, ONGC, Reliance Petrochemicals, Torrent Power, and Shell have set up their manufacturing units here
• Some of the important brands of India like Vimal and Garden have also set up manufacturing units in Surat

Connectivity

• By air, Surat connects to major Indian cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh and Amritsar. The Surat Airport is located just 11 km from the city and the recently constructed terminal can handle 240 passengers on an hourly basis
• The city is connected to National Highway 8 through a 16-km connector highway. National Highway 6, also known as the Surat–Kolkata Highway, passes through the city and connects it to Dhule, Amravati, Nagpur, Raipur, Sambalpur, Kharagpur and Kolkata. Through the national and state highways, Surat is connected across India
• Surat can be easily reached by rail as well. The Western Railway zone and the Central Railway zone connect Surat to the major cities in India

Lifestyle
Surat is home to several places of interest, such as Jagdishchandra Bose Aquarium, Sarthana Nature Park, Blues Adventures, Sneh Rashmi Botanical Garden, Science Centre, the Sardar Patel Museum, Navinchandra Mafatlal Garden, Heritage Square, Surat Castle, Chintamni Jain Temple, Dutch Garden, Jawaharlal Nehru Garden, Dumas Beach, Gavier Lake, and few others. Festivals like Navratri, Diwali and Ganesh Chaturthi are celebrated here with immense enthusiasm. Uttarayan is the famous kite-flying festival here which falls on Makar Sankranti. Surat hosts a number of prestigious educational institutions, including Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Veer Narman South Gujarat University, Gujarat Technological University, Government Medical College and New Civil Hospital, Surat Municipal Institute of Medical Education and Research, amongst others. The city is equipped with a decent distribution of hospitals and healthcare centres on one hand, with a flurry of shopping malls and recreational hubs on the other.

Localities in Surat