Surat is associated with the name Saurashtra, 'The Good Land', the regions covering the peninsula of Gujarat. It is situated on the banks of the Tapti river and owes its development to its early and sustained importance as a trading centre. It was large in 1600 and even after a decline in its fortunes the population in 1796 was estimated to be as much as 800,000. Surat is a busy commercial centre for textiles and diamonds. This city is mainly visited by the tourists who are interested in the colonial history of Surat.
Surat is one of the most prosperous cities of the country. After the decline of the textile industry of Mumbai and Ahmedabad in the 1970's, Surat has become the major city in the textile industry in the country. Surat is also called as the DREAM (Diamond Research And Mercantile) city as it is a major hub of Diamond cutting and polishing in India. It is commonly known as the commercial centre of textile and diamonds.
Surat also has remarkable archeological sites. It is the third cleanest city in India, according to the Indian Ministry of Urban Development. This city also comes on the list of twenty Indian cities which are selected to be developed as a smart city under PM Narendra Modi's flagship Smart Cities Mission. Also, Surat is the first smart IT city in India which is being constituted by the Microsoft CityNext Initiative. The initiative is tied up with IT services majors Tata Consultancy Services and Wipro.
