Surat is a city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It used to be a large seaport and is now a centre for diamond cutting and polishing. It is the eighth largest city and ninth largest urban agglomeration in India. It is the administrative capital of the Surat district. The city is located 284 kilometres (176 mi) south of the state capital, Gandhinagar; 265 kilometres (165 mi) south of Ahmedabad; and 289 kilometres (180 mi) north of Mumbai. The city centre is located on the Tapti River, close to Arabian Sea.
Surat will be world's fastest growing city from 2019 to 2035 year 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 and Wipro. 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 under PM Narendra Modi's flagship Smart Cities Mission. In 2017, Surat was the fourth cleanest city of India according to the Indian Ministry of Urban Development.
Surat, famous for its diamond cutting and polishing is known as the Diamond City of India.
Transport
Built in 1860, Surat railway station falls under the administrative control of Western Railway zone of the Indian Railways. 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. It is operated by Surat Municipal Corporation and as of August 2017, had a network of 245 buses connecting major localities.
Surat International Airport located in Magdalla, 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. Air India Express is set to begin international flight on Surat Sharjah route very soon. Apart from main city, Surat Airport also caters to various localities of south Gujarat including Navsari, Bardoli, Valsad, Bharuch, Ankleshwar.
Surat Metro is a proposed rapid transit rail system for the city.
Education
Universities
Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology, Surat is one of 31 National Institutes of Technology that are recognised as Institutes of National Importance by the Government of India.
Most of the regional colleges are affiliated to Veer Narmad South Gujarat University (VNSGU, named after the poet Veer Narmad), which has headquarters in the Surat Metropolitan Region. Colleges are also affiliated to SNDT , Gujarat Technological University 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.
Auro University has also started to provide education in Surat. Indian Institute of Information Technology, Surat started in 2017.
People
Henry Barnes-Lawrence (1815–1896), Anglican clergyman, and founder of the Association for the Protection of Sea-Birds
Kiransinh Chauhan, Gujarati poet and scriptwriter
Ismail Darbar, Bollywood composer
Freddy Daruwala, Bollywood Actor
Harmeet Desai, table-tennis player
Prachi Desai, actress in Bollywood
Savji Dholakia, Indian businessman. He is the founder and chairman of Hari Krishna Export.
Sanjeev Kumar (actual name Haribhai Jariwala), film actor
Mareez, 20th century Gujarati poet, popular for his ghazals
Narmad, Gujarati poet, playwright, essayist, orator, lexicographer and reformer under the British Raj
Dhwanil Parekh, 20th century Gujarati poet
Hardik Pandya, Indian international Cricketer
Laljibhai Patel, 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 and was buried at the Dutch Cemetery in Surat.
Gunvant Shah, educationist and columnist
Bhagwatikumar Sharma, author and journalist
Farooq Sheikh, actor and television presenter
Virji Vora, businessman known as "merchant prince" during Mughal era
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surat
