Surat is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
in the western
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
n
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
. The word Surat literally means ''face'' in
Gujarati
Gujarati may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India
* Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat
* Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them
* Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub ...
and
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the Arabian Sea, it used to be a large
seaport
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
. It is now the commercial and economic center in
South Gujarat, and one of the largest
urban area
An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, t ...
s of western India. It has well-established diamond and textile industry, and is a major supply centre for apparels and accessories. About 90% of the world's diamonds supply are cut and polished in the city. It is the second largest city in Gujarat after Ahmedabad and the
eighth largest city by population and
ninth largest urban agglomeration in India. It is the administrative capital of the
Surat district
Surat is a district in the state of Gujarat, India with Surat city as the administrative headquarters of this district. It is surrounded by Bharuch, Narmada (North), Navsari (South) districts and east Tapi district To the west is the Gulf of C ...
. The city is located south of the state capital,
Gandhinagar
Gandhinagar (, ) is the capital of the state of Gujarat in India. Gandhinagar is located approximately 23 km north of Ahmedabad, on the west central point of the Industrial corridor between Delhi, the political capital of India, and Mu ...
; south of
Ahmedabad
Ahmedabad ( ; Gujarati: Amdavad ) is the most populous city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ahmedabad district and the seat of the Gujarat High Court. Ahmedabad's population of 5,570,585 (per t ...
; and north of
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
. The city centre is located on the
Tapti River
The Tapti River (or Tapi) is a river in central India located to the south of the Narmada river that flows westwards before draining into the Arabian Sea. The river has a length of around and flows through the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat ...
, close to
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...
.
[
]
Surat will be the world's fastest growing city from 2019 to 2035, according to a study conducted by
Economic Times. The city registered an annualised GDP growth rate of 11.5% over the seven fiscal years between 2001 and 2008. Surat was awarded "best city" by the Annual Survey of India's City-Systems (ASICS) in 2013. Surat is selected as the first smart IT city in India which is being constituted by the Microsoft CityNext Initiative tied up with IT services majors
Tata Consultancy Services
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is an Indian multinational information technology (IT) services and consulting company with its headquarters in Mumbai. It is a part of the Tata Group and operates in 150 locations across 46 countries. In July ...
and
Wipro
Wipro Limited (formerly, Western India Palm Refined Oils Limited) is an Indian multinational corporation that provides information technology, consulting and business process services. Thierry Delaporte is serving as CEO and managing directo ...
.
The city has 2.97 million internet users, about 65% of total population. Surat was selected in 2015 for an
IBM Smarter Cities Challenge grant.
Surat has been selected as one of twenty Indian cities to be developed as a
smart city
A smart city is a technologically modern urban area that uses different types of electronic methods and sensors to collect specific data. Information gained from that data is used to manage assets, resources and services efficiently; in return ...
under
PM Narendra Modi's flagship
Smart Cities Mission
National Smart Cities Mission is an urban renewal and retrofitting program by the Government of India with the mission to develop smart cities across the country, making them citizen friendly and sustainable. The Union Ministry of Urban Devel ...
.
Surat is listed as the second
cleanest city of India as of 21 August 2020 according to the
Swachh Survekshan 2020 on 20 August. It suffered a major pipeline fire which caused some damage.
Surat, famous for its diamond cutting and polishing, is known as the ''Diamond City of India''.
The city has various engineering plants like
Essar
Essar Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate company, founded by Shashi Ruia and Ravi Ruia in 1969. As Essar Global Fund Limited (EGFL), the company controls a number of assets across the core sectors of energy (oil refining, oil a ...
,
Larsen and Toubro
Larsen & Toubro Ltd, commonly known as L&T, is an Indian multinational conglomerate company, with business interests in engineering, construction, manufacturing, technology, information technology and financial services, headquartered in Mumba ...
and
RIL. Surat won the Netexplo Smart Cities Award 2019 with UNESCO in the resilience category. Surat's mayor will receive the award at the UNESCO House in Paris, France in March next year.
History
Etymology
Surat was founded by a man called Gopi, who named the area Surajpur or Suryapur.
Duarte Barbosa
Duarte Barbosa (c. 14801 May 1521) was a Portuguese writer and officer from Portuguese India (between 1500 and 1516). He was a Christian pastor and scrivener in a '' feitoria'' in Kochi, and an interpreter of the local language, Malayalam. Barbo ...
described Surat as Suratt. Jacob Peeters referred to Surat as Sourratte which is a Dutch name. There are many other names of Surat in history. Surat is referred to as Surrat, Surate or Soorat in some literature.
Surat before the Mughal Empire
From 1297, Gujarat was gradually conquered by
Allauddin Khilji
Alaud-Dīn Khaljī, also called Alauddin Khilji or Alauddin Ghilji (), born Ali Gurshasp, was an emperor of the Khalji dynasty that ruled the Delhi Sultanate in the Indian subcontinent. Alauddin instituted a number of significant administrative ...
, the ruler of the principal state in north India at the time, the
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526). . The Delhi Sultanate appointed Governors to control Gujarat, but this had to be forcefully imposed, notably in 1347, when
Muhammad bin Tughluq
Muhammad bin Tughluq (1290 – 20 March 1351) was the eighteenth Sultan of Delhi. He reigned from February 1325 until his death in 1351. The sultan was the eldest son of Ghiyath al-Din Tughluq, founder of the Tughlaq dynasty. In 1321, the youn ...
sacked Surat, among other cities.
As control from the Delhi Sultanate waned at the end of the 14th century, pressure grew for an independent Gujarat, culminating in the then Governor
Zafar Khan declaring independence in 1407. Surat was controlled directly by the nobles of the Rajput kingdom of
Baglana who fell either under the Gujarat Sultans or the
Deccan sultanates
The Deccan sultanates were five Islamic late-medieval Indian kingdoms—on the Deccan Plateau between the Krishna River and the Vindhya Range—that were ruled by Muslim dynasties: namely Ahmadnagar, Berar, Bidar, Bijapur, and Golconda. Th ...
. However, following the fall of the Gujarat Sultanate in 1538 it was controlled by more local nobles starting with Chengiz Khan who enjoyed absolute authority over Surat,
Broach
The BROACH warhead is a Tandem-charge, multi-stage warhead developed by Team BROACH; BAE Systems Global Combat Systems Munitions, Thales Missile Electronics and QinetiQ. BROACH stands for ''Bomb Royal Ordnance Augmented CHarge''.
Development of ...
,
Baroda
Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, from the state capital ...
and
Champaner
Champaner is a historical city in the state of Gujarat, in western India. It is located in Panchmahal district, 47 kilometres from the city of Vadodara. The city was briefly the capital of the Sultanate of Gujarat.
History
Champaner is named ...
. However, in 1637,
Aurangzeb
Muhi al-Din Muhammad (; – 3 March 1707), commonly known as ( fa, , lit=Ornament of the Throne) and by his regnal title Alamgir ( fa, , translit=ʿĀlamgīr, lit=Conqueror of the World), was the sixth emperor of the Mughal Empire, ruling ...
fully annexed Baglana into the Mughal Empire.
In 1514, the Portuguese traveler
Duarte Barbosa
Duarte Barbosa (c. 14801 May 1521) was a Portuguese writer and officer from Portuguese India (between 1500 and 1516). He was a Christian pastor and scrivener in a '' feitoria'' in Kochi, and an interpreter of the local language, Malayalam. Barbo ...
described Surat as an important seaport, frequented by many
ship
A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished ...
s from
Malabar
Malabar may refer to the following:
People
* Malabars, people originating from the Malabar region of India
* Malbars or Malabars, people of Tamil origin in Réunion
Places
* Malabar Coast, or Malabar, a region of the southwestern shoreline o ...
and various parts of the world. By 1520, the name of the city had become Surat. It was burned by the Portuguese (1512 and 1530) and conquered by the Mughals (1573) and was twice raided by the Maratha king
Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adils ...
(17th century).
During the Mughal Empire
It was the most prosperous port in the Mughal empire.
Despite being a rich city, Surat looked like a typical "grubby" trader's town with mud-and-bamboo tenements and crooked streets, although along the riverfront there were a few mansions and warehouses belonging to local merchant princes and the establishments of Turkish, Armenian, English, French and Dutch traders. There were also hospitals for cows, horses, flies and insects run by religious
Jain
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
s, which puzzled travelers.
Some streets were narrow while others were of sufficient width. In the evening, especially near the Bazaar (marketplace), the streets became crowded with people and merchants (including
Banyan merchants
Banyan merchants is an expression used widely in the Indian Ocean trade to refer to Indian merchants who are clearly distinguished from others, by their clothing, by their religious and cultural dietary choices, and by the manner in which they co ...
) selling their goods. Surat was a populous city during the Mughal era but also had a large transient population: during the
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
season, when ships could come and go from the ports without danger, the city's population would swell.
In 1612,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
established its first Indian
trading factory
Factory was the common name during the medieval and early modern eras for an entrepôt – which was essentially an early form of free-trade zone or transshipment point. At a factory, local inhabitants could interact with foreign merchants, o ...
in Surat.
The city was looted twice by the Maratha king
Shivaji
Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adils ...
, with the first sacking occurring in 1664.
Shivaji's raids scared trade away and caused ruin to the city.
Later, Surat became the emporium of India, exporting gold and cloth. Its major industries were shipbuilding and textile manufacture.
The coast of the
Tapti River
The Tapti River (or Tapi) is a river in central India located to the south of the Narmada river that flows westwards before draining into the Arabian Sea. The river has a length of around and flows through the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat ...
, from Athwalines to Dumas, was specially meant for shipbuilders, who were usually Rassis. The city continued to be prosperous until the rise of Bombay (present-day
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
). Afterward, Surat's shipbuilding industry declined and Surat itself gradually declined throughout the 18th century.
During 1790–1791, an epidemic killed 100,000
Gujaratis
The Gujarati people or Gujaratis, are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who reside in or can trace their ancestry or heritage to the present-day western Indian state of Gujarat. They primarily speak Gujarati, an Indo-Aryan language. While G ...
in Surat. The British and Dutch both claimed control of the city, but in 1800, the British took control of Surat.
By the middle of the 19th century, Surat had become a stagnant city with about 80,000 inhabitants. When India's railways opened, the city started becoming prosperous again.
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
s, cotton, brocades, and objects of gold and silver from Surat became famous and the ancient art of manufacturing fine
muslin
Muslin () is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq, where it was first manufactured.
Muslin of uncommonly delicate handsp ...
was revived.
Modern period
British colonial rule
Later, Surat became the emporium of India, exporting gold and cloth. Its major industries were shipbuilding and textile manufacture. The coast of the
Tapti River
The Tapti River (or Tapi) is a river in central India located to the south of the Narmada river that flows westwards before draining into the Arabian Sea. The river has a length of around and flows through the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat ...
, from Athwalines to Dumas, was specially meant for shipbuilders, who were usually Rassis. By the middle of the 19th century, Surat had become a stagnant city with about 80,000 inhabitants. When India's railways opened, the city started becoming prosperous again.
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the coc ...
s, cottons, brocades, and objects of gold and silver from Surat became famous and the ancient art of manufacturing fine
muslin
Muslin () is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq, where it was first manufactured.
Muslin of uncommonly delicate handsp ...
was revived
Post Independence
After India gained independence on 15 August 1947, Surat became part of India. At that time it was a part of Bombay State. Later it became the part of Gujarat state. Along with Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Nagpur and Vadodara, Surat became one of the fast growing cities and major commercial and industrial centers of Western India. During the post-independence period, Surat has experienced considerable growth in industrial activities especially textiles and chemical along with trading activities. On 2 October 2007 Surat district was split into two by the creation of a new Tapi district, under the Surat District Re-organisation Act 2007.
Geography
![Tapi river](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Tapi_river.jpg)
Surat is a port city situated on the banks of the
Tapi river. Damming of the Tapi caused the original port facilities to close; the nearest port is now in the
Magadalla
The Port of Magdalla is a port in western India, located on the southern bank of the Tapi River, around 10 km from Surat. It is operated by Gujarat Maritime Board. About the Port
It is a medium-sized port. There are various types of vessel ...
and
Hazira
Hazira is a suburb and a transshipment port in the Surat City in the Gujarat state of India. It is the west most end of Surat.
Hazira is one of the major ports of India and the most important element of Surat Metropolitan Region. The town is ...
area of
Surat Metropolitan Region
Surat Urban Development Authority is the urban planning agency of Surat, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, ...
. It has a famous beach called 'Dumas Beach' located in Hazira.
The city is located at . It has an average elevation of 13 metres. The Surat district is surrounded by the
Bharuch
Bharuch (), formerly known as Broach, is a city at the mouth of the river Narmada in Gujarat in western India. Bharuch is the administrative headquarters of Bharuch District.
The city of Bharuch and surroundings have been settled since tim ...
,
Narmada,
Navsari
Navsari is the ninth biggest city in the state of Gujarat in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Navsari District. Navsari is situated between Surat & Mumbai. Navsari is a twin city of Surat. It is located 37 km south of Sura ...
, to the west is the
Gulf of Cambay
The Gulf of Khambhat, historically known as the Gulf of Cambay, is a bay on the Arabian Sea coast of India, bordering the state of Gujarat just north of Mumbai and Diu Island. The Gulf of Khambhat is about long, about wide in the north and u ...
and the surrounding districts. The climate is tropical and monsoon rainfall is abundant (about 2,500 mm a year). According to the
Bureau of Indian Standards
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the National Standards Body of India under Department of Consumer affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India. It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standar ...
, the town falls under
seismic zone-III, in a scale of I to V (in order of increasing vulnerability to earthquakes).
Climate
Surat has a
tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: Aw), moderated strongly by the Sea to the Gulf of Camboy. The summer begins in early March and lasts until June. April and May are the hottest months, the average maximum temperature being .
Monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
begins in late June and the city receives about of rain by the end of September, with the average maximum being during those months. October and November see the retreat of the monsoon and a return of high temperatures until late November. Winter starts in December and ends in late February, with average mean temperatures of around , and negligible rain.
Since the 20th century, Surat has experienced some 20 floods.
In 1968, most parts of the city were flooded and in 1994 a flood caused a country-wide plague outbreak, Surat being the epicenter. In 1998, 30 per cent of Surat had gone under water due to flooding in
Tapti river
The Tapti River (or Tapi) is a river in central India located to the south of the Narmada river that flows westwards before draining into the Arabian Sea. The river has a length of around and flows through the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat ...
following release of water from
Ukai dam
The Ukai Dam, constructed across the Tapi River, is the second largest reservoir in Gujarat after the Sardar Sarovar. It is also known as Vallabh Sagar. Constructed in 1972, the dam is meant for irrigation, power generation and flood control. Ha ...
located 90 km from Surat and in Aug
2006 flood more than 95 per cent of the city was under Tapti river waters, killing more than 120 people, stranding tens of thousands in their homes without food or electricity and closing businesses and schools for weeks.
The city is expected to experience more flooding and
extreme weather
Extreme weather or extreme climate events includes unexpected, unusual, severe, or unseasonal weather; weather at the extremes of the historical distribution—the range that has been seen in the past. Often, extreme events are based on a locat ...
as
climate change becomes worse, so has invested in flood protection and
climate resilience
Climate resilience is defined as the "capacity of social, economic and ecosystems to cope with a hazardous event or trend or disturbance".IPCC, 2022Summary for Policymakers .-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, M. Tignor, ...
infrastructure.
Demographics
A resident of Surat is called ''Surati''. According to the 2011 India census, the population of Surat is 4,467,797. Surat has an average literacy rate of 89%, higher than the national average of 79.5%, male literacy is 93%, and female literacy is 84%.
Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. In Surat, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Politics
Darshana Jardosh
Darshana Jardosh (born 21 January 1961) is an Indian politician and currently serving as Union State Minister of Railways and Union State Minister of Textiles. She is member of the Lok Sabha representing the Surat constituency in Gujarat. Sh ...
, of BJP is the MP from the
Surat Lok Sabha constituency.
The Assembly constituencies of Surat district are
Civic institutions
![Muglisaraisurat](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/Muglisaraisurat.jpg)
The
Surat Municipal Corporation is responsible for maintaining the city's civic infrastructure as well as carrying out associated administrative duties. At present,
BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; ; ) is a political party in India, and one of the two major Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. Since 2014, it has been the ruling political party in India under Narendra Modi ...
is the ruling party with a majority. Under the Provisions of Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporations Act, 1949, Section – 4, the powers have been vested in three Distinct Statutory Authorities: the General Board, the Standing Committee, and the Municipal Commissioner.
It ranked 7 out of 21 cities for best administrative practices in India in 2014. It scored 3.5 on 10 compared to the national average of 3.3. It is the only city in India to disclose municipal budgets on a weekly basis.
Public Safety
Surat began the 'Safe City Project' in 2011 aimed at keeping the city safe using surveillance cameras. The project was headed by Sanjay Srivastava (IPS) who was then the Joint-Commissioner of Surat Police. The 280-square-foot video wall claimed to be the largest surveillance screen in the country, is being installed in the control room of Police Commissioner Mr. Rakesh Asthana (IPS). This will help the police view the entire city live through 10,000 CCTV cameras across the city. Surat police have decided to install 5,000 CCTV cameras at sensitive points across the city. While 1,000 cameras will be night vision cameras, 4,000 others will be simple CCTV cameras. This has been installed on PPP base with the help of the city's businessmen, the city's social persons,
Surat Municipal Corporation, and the Surat City Police.
Economy
![Hazira Industrial Area,ONGC](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Hazira_Industrial_Area%2CONGC.jpg)
Surat ranked 9th in India with a GDP of 2.60 lakh crore in fiscal year 2016 ($40 billion in 2016). Surat GDP in 2020 will be around $57 billion estimated by The City Mayors Foundation, an international think tank on urban affairs. Surat is a major hub of diamond cutting and polishing.
The first diamond workshops in Gujarat appeared in Surat and
Navasari
Navsari is the ninth biggest city in the state of Gujarat in India. It is the administrative headquarters of Navsari District. Navsari is situated between Surat & Mumbai. Navsari is a twin city of Surat. It is located 37 km south of Su ...
in the late 1950s. The major group working in this industry is people from the
Saurashtra region
Saurashtra, also known as Sorath or Kathiawar, is a peninsular region of Gujarat, India, located on the Arabian Sea coast. It covers about a third of Gujarat state, notably 11 districts of Gujarat, including Rajkot District. It was formerly a ...
of Gujarat. Because of demand in the American market from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s (with only a brief recession in 1979), 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
The Patel is an Indian surname or title, predominantly found in the state of Gujarat representing the community of land-owning farmers and later (with the British East India Company) businessmen, agriculturalists and merchants. Traditionally th ...
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. That declined by about 18% in 2019 due to reduced demand for diamonds. The decline continued in 2020 when the industry closed for some months because of the
COVID-19 pandemic in India
The COVID-19 pandemic in India is a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). As of , according to Indian government figures, India has the second-highest n ...
. A legacy of old Dutch trade links, it began after a Surti entrepreneur returned from East Africa bringing diamond cutters. The rough diamonds are mined in South Africa and other regions of the African continent, and go from here as smooth gems to Antwerp, Belgium where the international diamond trade is run mainly by Hasidic Jews and Jains from Palanpur in North Gujarat. Surat's economy drives from a range of manufacturing and industry fields such as diamonds, textiles, petrochemicals, shipbuilding, automobile, port etc.
![SuratAhmedabadMumbai 020](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/SuratAhmedabadMumbai_020.jpg)
Since it is known 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
Surat Zari Craft. Surat is the biggest center of MMF (man-made fiber) in India. It has a total of 381 dyeing and printing mills and 41,100 power loom 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 meters 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.
There are many SME Domestic IT Companies present in Surat. MNC IT companies like IBM,
HCL have satellite or virtual branches in Surat. On 14 February 2014, Government of Gujarat DST had handover STPI Surat
at Bhestan-Jiav Road, Bhestan Near Udhana-Sachin BRTS Route. Surat city administration will demand for setting up of an information technology (IT) hub and an
Indian Institute of Information Technology
Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs) are a group of 26 interdisciplinary technology-based- engineering research institutions in India which are focused on information technology. Five of them are established, funded and managed ...
(IIIT) on the outskirts of the city.
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...
CityNext initiative has tied up with IT services majors
Tata Consultancy Services
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is an Indian multinational information technology (IT) services and consulting company with its headquarters in Mumbai. It is a part of the Tata Group and operates in 150 locations across 46 countries. In July ...
and
Wipro
Wipro Limited (formerly, Western India Palm Refined Oils Limited) is an Indian multinational corporation that provides information technology, consulting and business process services. Thierry Delaporte is serving as CEO and managing directo ...
to leverage technology for
sustainable growth
Sustainable development is an organizing principle for meeting human development goals while also sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend. The desir ...
of cities in India. The first smart IT city in India is being constituted by the Microsoft CityNext Initiative in Surat,
Gujarat
Gujarat (, ) is a state along the western coast of India. Its coastline of about is the longest in the country, most of which lies on the Kathiawar peninsula. Gujarat is the fifth-largest Indian state by area, covering some ; and the ninth ...
.
In 2011, Surat hosted India's first Microsoft DreamSpark Yatra (a tech event) with speakers from Microsoft Headquarters at
Redmond, Washington
Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located east of Seattle. The population was 73,256 at the 2020 census, up from 54,144 in 2010.
Redmond is best known as the home of Microsoft and Nintendo of America.
With an an ...
. The event was organised by Ex-
Microsoft Student Partner Samarth Zankharia. In May 2015, Tech giant
IBM has chosen Surat among 16 global locations for its smart cities program to help them address challenges like waste management, disaster management and citizen services. Under the program, IBM will send a team of experts to each of the chosen cities where they will spend three weeks working closely with city staff analysing data about critical issues faced by its local bodies;
the co-operation continued into 2016.
Surat is being a port city, it has turned as a major commercial and industrial hub in India. It is home for many companies such as
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is a central public sector undertaking under the ownership of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. It is headquartered in New Delhi. ONGC was founded on 14 August 1956 by the ...
,
Reliance Industries
Reliance Industries Limited is an Indian multinational conglomerate company, headquartered in Mumbai. It has diverse businesses including energy, petrochemicals, natural gas, retail, telecommunications, mass media, and textiles. Reliance is ...
(
Hazira Manufacturing Division),
Essar Steel,
Larsen & Toubro
Larsen & Toubro Ltd, commonly known as L&T, is an Indian multinational conglomerate company, with business interests in engineering, construction, manufacturing, technology, information technology and financial services, headquartered in Mumba ...
,
Krishak Bharati Cooperative
Krishak Bharati Cooperative Limited (KRIBHCO) is a Central government cooperative under the ownership of Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India that manufactures fertilizers, mainly urea.
The society was set up by the Government of India ...
,
NTPC Limited
NTPC Limited, formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, is an Indian central public sector undertaking under the ownership of the Ministry of Power, Government of India which is engaged in generation of electricity an ...
,
Bharat Petroleum
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) is an Indian central public sector undertaking under the ownership of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. It operates three refineries in Bina, Kochi and Mumbai. BPCL is ...
,
Indian Oil Corporation
Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL; d/b/a IndianOil) is a central public sector undertaking under the ownership of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. It is headquartered in New Delhi. It is a public sector unde ...
,
UltraTech Cement
UltraTech Cement Limited is an Indian cement company based in Mumbai, and a part of Aditya Birla Group. UltraTech is the largest manufacturer of grey cement, ready-mix concrete
Ready-mix concrete (RMC) is concrete that is manufactured i ...
,
Shell
Shell may refer to:
Architecture and design
* Shell (structure), a thin structure
** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses
** Thin-shell structure
Science Biology
* Seashell, a hard o ...
,
GAIL
Gail may refer to:
People
*Gail (given name), list of notable people with the given name
Surname
* Jean-Baptiste Gail (1755–1829), French Hellenist scholar
* Max Gail (born 1943), American actor
* Sophie Gail (1775–1819), French singer and ...
,
GSEG,
Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation
Gujarat State Petroleum Corporation Ltd (GSPCL) is a state government owned group of oil and gas exploration, production and distribution companies based in Gujarat, India. It is India's only state government-owned oil and gas company under the ...
,
Hero MotoCorp etc.
Hazira Port
Hazira Port or Surat Port is a deep-water liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and multi-cargo deep-water port about 20 miles southwest of Surat, India built by Hazira Port Private Limited (HPPL). The LNG facility is operational, while the cargo ...
is located in
Hazira
Hazira is a suburb and a transshipment port in the Surat City in the Gujarat state of India. It is the west most end of Surat.
Hazira is one of the major ports of India and the most important element of Surat Metropolitan Region. The town is ...
, an industrial suburb where most of the industries are located while other region is
Magdalla
The Port of Magdalla is a port in western India, located on the southern bank of the Tapi River, around 10 km from Surat. It is operated by Gujarat Maritime Board. About the Port
It is a medium-sized port. There are various types of vessel ...
which is also developed as
Port of Magdalla.
The government of Gujarat plans another project near Surat similar to
Gujarat International Finance Tec-City
Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City) is central business district under-construction in Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad in Gandhinagar district in Gujarat, India. It is India's first operational greenfield smart city and internationa ...
(GIFT). The Chief Minister has suggested that the government wishes to develop DREAM to have a five-seven star hotel, bank, IT, corporate trading house, entertainment zone and other facilities while the
Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB) will be based there. Allotment of
Khajod land for the project is convenient for the state government because they have of available land. The Trade Centre, located near
Sarsana
Surat is a city in the western Indian States and territories of India, state of Gujarat. The word Surat literally means ''face'' in Gujarati language, Gujarati and Hindi. Located on the banks of the river Tapti near its confluence with the A ...
village, will have a pillar-less air-conditioned hall with a pillar-less dome.
Transport
![Surat Airport, Gujrat](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Surat_Airport%2C_Gujrat.png)
Built in 1860,
Surat railway station
Surat Railway Station (Code: ST) is a major railway station serving Surat, beside Gothangam, Kosad, , , , and . It is under the administrative control of the Western Railway zone of the Indian Railways. Surat is A1 – category railway station ...
falls under the administrative control of
Western Railway zone
The Western Railway (abbreviated WR) is one of the 19 zones of Indian Railways and is among the busiest railway networks in India, headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra. The major railway routes of Indian Railways which come under Western Railw ...
of the
Indian Railways
Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a tot ...
. In early 2016, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation rated the facility the best large station in India based on cleanliness.
The
Sitilink or Surat BRTS is a
bus rapid transit system in the city. Initiated by Bharat Shah, additional city engineer of Surat Municipal Corporation. It is operated by Surat Municipal Corporation and as of August 2017, had a network of 245 buses connecting major localities.
Surat International Airport
Surat International Airport , is an international airport serving Surat and Southern Gujarat. It is located in Magdalla, situated 12 km (6.4 mi) from the city centre. It has a total area of 770 acres (312 ha), and is the second busiest airport ...
located in
Magdalla
The Port of Magdalla is a port in western India, located on the southern bank of the Tapi River, around 10 km from Surat. It is operated by Gujarat Maritime Board. About the Port
It is a medium-sized port. There are various types of vessel ...
, 11 kilometres (7 mi) southwest of Surat. It is the 2nd busiest airport in Gujarat in terms of both aircraft movements and passenger traffic. Currently, airlines such as Air India, Alliance Air, AirAsia India, SpiceJet, IndiGo Airlines, Air Odisha, Ventura AirConnect provide flight services from the Surat to various major cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Goa, Jaipur, Visakhapatnam. There are also running international flights for the Sharjah route of Air India Express. Apart from the main city, Surat Airport also caters to various localities of south Gujarat including Navsari, Bardoli, Valsad, Bharuch, Ankleshwar.
Surat Metro is an under construction rapid transit rail system for the city.
Culture
Food
Surat is known for its food and has its own list of cherished street foods. There is a famous saying in Gujarati language "સુરતનું જમણ અને કાશીનું મરણ", meaning ''Eat in Surat and Die in
Kashi
Kashi or Kaashi may refer to:
Places
* Varanasi (historically known as "Kashi"), a holy city in India
**Kingdom of Kashi, an ancient kingdom in the same place, one of the sixteen Mahajanapadas
**Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Varanasi
* Kashgar, a cit ...
for the ultimate experience of the soul''.
![Locho and idada](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Locho_and_idada.jpg)
The unique dishes of surat includes
Locho
Locho is steamed Gujarati Farsan (Snack /Side Dish) originated in Surat. It is made from Gram Flour. The dish derives its name from its loose consistency and irregular shape like dumplings. It is somewhat related to Khaman. Unlike Khaman it is ...
,
Ghari (sweet)
Ghari or Surati Ghari is a sweet Gujarati dish from Surat, Gujarat, India. Ghari is made of puri
Puri () is a coastal city and a municipality in the state of Odisha in eastern India. It is the district headquarters of Puri district and ...
, Surti Bhusu, Alupuri,
Kavsa,
Ponk
Ponk or Paunk (Gujarati પૌંક) is a Gujarati snack made from tender roasted sorghum grains mixed with other products such as sev.
To prepare the snack, the green immature sorghum grains (called ''ponk'') are parched or roasted: the re ...
,
Undhiyu,
Dhokla
Dhokla is a savoury sponge dish that is native to the Indian state of Gujarat and parts of adjacent states, and is popular throughout the country. It is made with a fermented batter that is steamed to a cake-like consistency. The batter consists o ...
,
Khaman
Khaman is a savoury snack from India that originates from Gujarat. It is a steamed sponge with a fluffy consistency, often served with a garnish of fresh chopped coriander leaves.
Ingredients
Khaman is made from ground channa daal or channa gr ...
, Sev Khamani, and so forth.
People's love for food in Surat is so much that there is a lane called as " Khaudra gali" which means foodie's lane which has all stalls of various types of dishes specialty being Mysore Dosa.
Education
Universities
Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat
National Institute of Technology Surat (SVNIT or NIT Surat), is a public technical university established by the Parliament of India in 1961. It is one of 31 National Institutes of Technology in India recognized by the Government of India as a ...
is one of 31
National Institutes of Technology
The National Institutes of Technology (NITs) are the central government-owned-public technical institutes under the ownership of Ministry of Education, Government of India. They are governed by the National Institutes of Technology, Science ...
that are recognised as
Institutes of National Importance
Institute of National Importance (INI) is a status that may be conferred on a premier public higher education institution in India by an act of Parliament of India, an institution which "serves as a pivotal player in developing highly skilled per ...
by the Government of India.
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Surat
The Indian Institute of Information Technology Surat (IIIT Surat) is one of the Indian Institutes of Information Technology established by MHRD in PPP mode located in Surat, Gujarat.The Institute has been conferred as Institute of National ...
started in 2017.
Most of the regional colleges are affiliated to
Veer Narmad South Gujarat University
Veer Narmad South Gujarat University is a public university located in the city of Surat, Gujarat, India. Previously known as South Gujarat University, it was renamed as Veer Narmad South Gujarat University(VNSGU) in 2004 in honour of the famous ...
(VNSGU, named after the poet
Veer Narmad), which has headquarters in the Surat Metropolitan Region. Colleges are also affiliated to
SNDT
SNDT Women's University, also called by its full name Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women's University, is a women's university in the city of Mumbai, India. The university headquarters are at Churchgate in South Mumbai, while the ma ...
,
Gujarat Technological University
Gujarat Technological University (International Innovative University), commonly referred as ''GTU'', is a state university affiliating many engineering, pharmacy, and management colleges in Gujarat state, India. The university is headed by the s ...
and other universities.
Government Medical College, Surat is a more than 50 years old medical school of 250 yearly student admission capacity with attached tertiary care hospital, New Civil Hospital.
Surat Municipal Institute of Medical Education and Research
Surat Municipal Institute of Medical Education and Research (SMIMER) is a medical college and teaching hospital in Surat, Gujarat, India, which is the fourth-fastest-growing city in the world. It was established in 2000 and has been affiliated ...
(SMIMER) is a Municipal Medical College affiliated with the
Veer Narmad South Gujarat University
Veer Narmad South Gujarat University is a public university located in the city of Surat, Gujarat, India. Previously known as South Gujarat University, it was renamed as Veer Narmad South Gujarat University(VNSGU) in 2004 in honour of the famous ...
.
Auro University has also started to provide education in Surat.
Science Center
Science Center, Surat is a multi-facility complex built by the Surat Municipal Corporation in 2009, the first of its type in western India. The complex houses a science center, museum, an art gallery, an auditorium, an
amphitheater
An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...
and a planetarium.
Sports
Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Indoor Stadium
![Pandit DinDayal Upadhyay Indoor Stadium,Surat](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Pandit_DinDayal_Upadhyay_Indoor_Stadium%2CSurat.jpg)
With a seating capacity of 6800, Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Indoor Stadium is the first of its kind in the Western Region of India. The stadium frequently organizes national and international indoor games such as volleyball, table tennis, gymnastics, handball, boxing, wrestling, badminton, basketball, and tennis. It has a central arena of size 63 m x 33 m, rooms for participants and team officials, and other essential facilities including snack bars. This is also a convenient venue for organizing cultural programs, music concerts, drama, fashion shows, seminars, conferences, and many more. The Indoor Stadium also hosted TEDxSurat 2018 on 7 October 2018 which is the largest TEDx conference in Gujarat and one of the largest TEDx conferences in the world.
Lalbhai Contractor Cricket Stadium
Lalbhai contractor cricket stadium has a capacity of more than 7000 and hosted several
Ranji
Colonel H. H. Shri Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II, Jam Saheb of Nawanagar, (10 September 1872 – 2 April 1933), often known as Ranji or K. S. Ranjitsinhji, was the ruler of the Indian princely state of Nawanagar from 1907 to 1933, as Ma ...
,
Irani and
Duleep Trophy
The Duleep Trophy, also known as Mastercard Duleep trophy due to sponsorship reasons, is a domestic first-class cricket competition played in India. Named after Kumar Shri Duleepsinhji of Nawanagar (also known as 'Duleep'), the competition wa ...
matches. The stadium also serves as a primary destination for local budding cricketers and enthusiasts. The stadium has hosted several benefit matches for international cricketers as well.
Surat in literature
* ''
The Coffee-House of Surat
"The Coffee-House of Surat" (''Суратская кофейная'') (AKA: ''A Surat Café'') is a short story by Leo Tolstoy written in 1891, first published in Russian in 1893, and first published in English in 1901. Like several other of Tolst ...
'' - By
Leo Tolstoy
Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
* ''A Voyage to Surat in the Year 1689'' - by
John Ovington
John Ovington (1653–1731) was an English priest known for his travel narrative ''A Voyage to Surat in the Year 1689'', which described his journey to Surat and his experiences there as an East India Company chaplain. Ovington travelled to Ind ...
* Gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Gujarát Surat and Broach
* ''
The Land of Malabar'' - by
Duarte Barbosa
Duarte Barbosa (c. 14801 May 1521) was a Portuguese writer and officer from Portuguese India (between 1500 and 1516). He was a Christian pastor and scrivener in a '' feitoria'' in Kochi, and an interpreter of the local language, Malayalam. Barbo ...
*
Plague in Surat: Crisis in Urban Governance- By
Archana Ghosh &
S. Sami Ahmad
*
Surat In The Seventeenth Century - by Balkrishna Govind Gokhale
*
Surat, Port of the Mughal Empire - by Ruby Maloni
*
Surat, Broach and Other Old Cities of Goojerat - by
Theodore Hope
Notable people
*
Abbas–Mustan
Abbas–Mustan is an Indian filmmaking duo consisting of brothers Abbas Alibhai Burmawalla and Mustan Alibhai Burmawalla, known for directing stylish suspense, action and romantic thrillers in Bollywood with dark-lighted themes. The duo directed ...
, Bollywood directors
*
Hashim Amla
Hashim Mahomed Amla OIS (born 31 March 1983) is a South African former international cricketer who played for South Africa in all three formats of the game. Amla holds the record for being the fastest ever to score 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 ...
, South African Cricketer
*
Henry Barnes-Lawrence (1815–1896), Anglican clergyman, and founder of the
Association for the Protection of Sea-Birds
*
Kiransinh Chauhan, Gujarati poet and scriptwriter
*
Abdulgani Dahiwala
Abdulgani Abdulkarim Dahiwala (1908-1987), popularly known as Gani Dahiwala was a Gujarati poet.
Life
Abdulgani Dahiwala was born on 17 August 1908 at Surat. He came to Ahmedabad in 1928 but later returned to Surat in 1930 when he started a t ...
, Gujarati poet
*
Ismail Darbar
Ismail Darbar is an Indian film score composer, instrumentalist, violinist and music director.
Career
Ismail Darbar is from Surat, Gujarat. He worked for several years as a session violinist for leading music directors Laxmikant Pyarelal, Kal ...
,
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
composer
*
Freddy Daruwala
Freddy Daruwala (born 1983/1984) is an Indian model and actor based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, predominantly known for his roles as the Sleeper Cell's Head opposite Akshay Kumar in the Bollywood film ''Holiday''. He has starred in over 12 films a ...
, Bollywood actor
*
Harmeet Desai
Harmeet Desai is an Indian table tennis player. He is currently ranked 71 in the world as of August 2021. He is from Surat.
In 2018 Commonwealth Games held at Gold Coast, Australia, He won gold in men's team event with Sharath Kamal, Anthony ...
, table-tennis player
*
Prachi Desai
Prachi Desai (born 12 September 1988), is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films and television. She started her television career as a lead in the successful TV drama '' Kasam Se'' on Zee TV. She made her Bollywood debut in the 2008 film ' ...
, actress in Bollywood
*
Savji Dholakia
Savji Dhanji Dholakia (born 12 April 1962) is an Indian businessman. He is the founder and chairman of Hari Krishna Exports, a diamond manufacturing and exporting company. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2022.
Biography
Savji Dholakia was born ...
, an Indian businessman. He is the founder and chairman of
Hari Krishna Export.
*
Pratik Gandhi
Pratik Gandhi is an Indian actor. He worked in Gujarati theatre before entering Gujarati cinema. He received wide acclaim for portraying Harshad Mehta in Sony LIV series ''Scam 1992''. He acted in several Hindi films thereafter.
Early life
G ...
, Bollywood actor
*
Yazdi Karanjia, theatre person - noted as one of the doyens of
Parsi theatre
Parsi theatre is a generic term for an influential theatre tradition, staged by Parsis, and theatre companies largely-owned by the Parsi business community, which flourished between 1850 and 1930s. Plays were primarily in the Hindustani language ( ...
*
Sanjeev Kumar
Sanjeev Kumar (born Harihar Jethalal Jariwala; 9 July 1938 – 6 November 1985) was an Indian actor. He is well remembered for his versatility and genuine portrayal of his characters. He acted in genres ranging from romantic dramas to thriller ...
(actual name Haribhai Jariwala), film actor
*
Mareez
Mareez, born Abbas Abdul Ali Vasi (22 February 1917 – 19 October 1983), was a Gujarati poet, mainly popular for his Ghazals. He is popularly known as ''Ghalib of Gujarat''. He left studies in young age and started working in rubber shoe fact ...
, 20th century Gujarati poet, popular for his ghazals
*
Narmad
Narmadashankar Lalshankar Dave () (24 August 1833 – 26 February 1886), popularly known as Narmad, was an Indian Gujarati-language poet, playwright, essayist, orator, lexicographer and reformer under the British Raj. He is considered to be the ...
, Gujarati poet, playwright, essayist, orator, lexicographer and reformer under the British Raj
*
Dhwanil Parekh, 20th century Gujarati poet
*
Hardik Pandya
Hardik Himanshu Pandya (born 11 October 1993) is an Indian international cricketer. An All-rounder who bats right-handed and bowls right-arm fast-medium, Pandya has played in all 3 formats for India. He also plays for Baroda cricket team in do ...
, Indian international Cricketer
*
Laljibhai Patel
Laljibhai Patel (born 28 November 1955) is an Indian diamantaire and philanthropic social activist, who is the chairman of Dharmanandan Diamonds Pvt. Ltd. (DDPL) and one of the barons of the Indian diamond Industry.
He has been guiding Dharman ...
, an Indian diamantaire and philanthropic social activist, who is the chairman of
Dharmanandan Diamonds Pvt. Ltd.(DDPL)
*
Hendrik van Rheede (1636–1691), Dutch botanist and colonial administrator. Died of the coast of
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
and was buried at the Dutch Cemetery in Surat.
*
Mufaddal Saifuddin
Mufaddal Saifuddin () is the spiritual leader and 53rd Da'i al-Mutlaq of one million Dawoodi Bohras, a subgroup of the Tayyibi, Mustaali, Ismaili Shia branch of Islam. He is the second son of the 52nd Da'i al-Mutlaq, Mohammed Burhanuddin, w ...
religious leader of the
Dawoodi Bohra
The Dawoodi Bohras are a religious denomination within the Ismā'īlī branch of Shia Islam. Their largest numbers reside in India, Pakistan, Yemen, East Africa, and the Middle East, with a growing presence across Europe, North America, South ...
*
Gunvant Shah
Gunvant Shah is an essayist, educationist, columnist and philosophy writer and critic from Gujarat, India. He taught at various universities and participated in various education oriented events and organisations. His large number of essays, incl ...
, educationist and columnist
*
Bhagwatikumar Sharma, author and journalist
*
Farooq Sheikh, actor and television presenter
*
Abid Surti, Indian cartoonist and writer
*
Mehul Surti
Mehul Surti (born 1977) in an Indian music composer and singer from Surat, Gujarat, India, known for his work in Gujarati cinema and Gujarati theatre. He has composed music for several successful Gujarati films including '' Kevi Rite Jaish'' (20 ...
, Indian musician
*
Mohammed Surti
Mohammed Surti is a leader of Indian National Congress from Surat in Gujarat. He was a government minister of Gujarat. He was falsely convicted for his involvement in 1993 Surat bomb blasts and was imprisoned, he was proven innocent and acq ...
, Indian National Congress politician
*
Rusi Surti
Rusi Framroze Surti ( 25 May 1936 – 13 January 2013) was an Indian cricketer who played in 26 Tests from 1960 to 1969. He was a left-arm medium pace and left-arm spin bowler and a lower-order batsman. Surti was also a popular professional fo ...
, Indian cricketer
*
Naval Tata
Naval Hormusji Tata (30 August 1904 – 5 May 1989) was an adopted son of Sir Ratanji Tata and a noted alumni of the Tata Group. He is the father of Ratan Tata, Jimmy Tata and Noel Tata.
The Naval Tata Hockey Academy in Jamshedpur (joint ...
, former chairman of Tata Group
*
Virji Vora, businessman known as "merchant prince" during Mughal era
See also
*
List of tourist attractions in Surat
Surat is a principal business hub of the Indian state Gujarat, the eighth largest city and ninth largest urban agglomeration. Surat is the 2nd cleanest city of India. and fastest growing city of the world Surat is also famous for its food, ...
*
Surat Railway Station
Surat Railway Station (Code: ST) is a major railway station serving Surat, beside Gothangam, Kosad, , , , and . It is under the administrative control of the Western Railway zone of the Indian Railways. Surat is A1 – category railway station ...
*
Surat International Airport
Surat International Airport , is an international airport serving Surat and Southern Gujarat. It is located in Magdalla, situated 12 km (6.4 mi) from the city centre. It has a total area of 770 acres (312 ha), and is the second busiest airport ...
*
Surat BRTS
*
Surat Metro
*
Surat Metropolitan Region
Surat Urban Development Authority is the urban planning agency of Surat, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, ...
References
External links
Website of Surat Municipal CorporationPincode list*
*
{{Authority control
Populated coastal places in India
Port cities in India
Port cities and towns of the Arabian Sea
Cities and towns in Surat district
Smart cities in India
Former capital cities in India
Gulf of Khambhat
Metropolitan cities in India
1612 establishments in the British Empire
Populated places established in the 2nd millennium