Surat - The Diamond Capital of the World and the Textile Capital of India

"A diamond is a chunk of charcoal that is good under pressure"- Henry A. Kissinger

Serenaded on the banks of the river Tapti (Tapi) stands the diamond capital of the world Surat in the state of Gujarat. According to Hindu beliefs Surat traces its existence to around the latter part of 15th century when it was known as Suryapur and was founded by the Brahmin Gopi. Just like a charcoal becomes a scintillating diamond under stress, Surat too has evolved in the same manner. It has seen many downfalls in its past like the ravage by the Portuguese empire, natural calamities like floods and epidemics like plaque but Surat like a phoenix has always risen above the ashes and today has a GDP growth rate of 11.5% which is the fastest in India and has been awarded the “best city” by the  Annual Survey of India's City-Systems (ASICS) in 2013.

As one walks down the street of Surat one can sense a feeling of history and modernity as one sees a moat that divides the historical houses from the modern day tall structures. Surat has a potpourri of culture due to its diverse population consisting of Gujaratis, Marwaris, Sindhi, Oriya, Marathi, Telegu and a sizeable population of Parsis and Jews.Surat which is often referred as the city of Kubera, the wealth God rightly gets this title from the enterprising nature of Surati people. There are instances as early as 19th century when Surati people were involved in export to increase their revenue which is a testimony to their business acumen and their risk taking ability.  Surat is further known for its cuisine and as the fragrance of the spicy Surati cuisine wafts the air from the many popular food stalls popularly known as laaris and one gorges down in these cuisines  the popular saying “Surat nu Jaman ane Kashi nu Maran” (eat in Surat and die in Kashi) stands true.  Surat boasts of a literacy rate of around 89% which is higher than the national average. It has many  institutes like Sardar Vallabhai National Institute of Technology and Indian Diamond Institute being prominent among them. Surat is also a popular tourist spot and offers varied places of interest right from the beautiful beaches of Dumas to a tryst with history in the form of the Surat fort, the Dutch garden, the Jawaharlal Nehru Garden etc.

The popularity of Surat largely lies in the fact that it is a major economic hub in India which can attributed to the fact that Surat is a port city which offers vast economic potential and together with the enterprising nature of Surati people it makes for a ideal concoction for business. According to a study conducted by City Mayors Foundation, an international think tank on urban affairs Surat is the 4th fastest developing city in the world. Surat with a GDP of around $40 billion ranks 9th in India. Further with the launch of the project Diamond Research and Mercantile( Dream City) it is expected that the GDP of Surat will catapulate  to new heights and it will rank 4th in India by 2020. Surat is most popular for its diamonds and textiles. Surat is rightly called the diamond capital of the world as almost 90% of rough diamond cutting and polishing of the world is done here. Further 90% of the total diamond export from India is from Surat.  Surat is further known for producing world class synthetic textiles but it is popular for its silk and hence Surat is also known as the textile and silk capital of India. It is also marked by the presence of many industrial units like the Reliance Petrochemicals, Essar’s steel plant, ONGC gas processing unit, L&T engineering unit etc. Still Surat like a huge falcon is spreading its wings in other quarters as well as today it is making progress in information technology with many Domestic IT SME’s coming up here and with the recent Microsoft CityNext initiative this is further expected to grow.

Hence, as Surat carves a prominent place for itself in the world map it brings about a lot of opportunities for trade and business. Today Surat offers an excellent ecosystem for new businesses to come and for more entrepreneurs to come to limelight.  Thus,with an aim to further help and be as a catalyst in the path of economic development of Surat by helping the budding entrepreneurs and the SME’s there the project Mentor on Road rightly starts its journey from the fastest developing city Surat. 

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