• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • HOME
  • REVIEWS
    • TRAILERS
  • BUSINESS
  • CELEBRITIES
  • HOLLYWOOD
  • REGIONAL
  • TV
  • MUSIC
  • TOP LISTS

Bollywood Presents

Exotic locations where popular Bollywood movies were shot

You are here: Home / Film & Media Business / Surat: Once Plague Ridden, Its One of the Cleanest & Fastest Growing Cities

Surat: Once Plague Ridden, Its One of the Cleanest & Fastest Growing Cities

August 24, 2015 by BollywoodPresents Team

Surat: Cleanest & Fastest Growing Cities in IndiaOnce considered to be one of the filthiest cities in India, not only is Surat today one of the cleanest cities in India, but also one of the fastest growing cities in India. Most surveys/polls in fact consider it to be one of the best cities in India to live in.

In 1994, when the city was hit by plague, just the mere mention of Surat was enough to scare people from visiting that place, the city saw an exodus of frightened inhabitants leaving the city in hordes, and there was hysterical media coverage all over the world.

Fast forward couple of decades and Surat has turned out to be not only is one of the cleanest cities in India, but also a place that would give most urban cities in India a run for the money, when it comes to infrastructure and development.

Just take a drive from Mumbai to Surat, and you’ll be impressed with the quality of the roads. The four and a half hour drive (around 320 kms) is smooth and once you enter Surat, you’re going to rub your eyes in disbelief looking at the development, especially if you’ve not been to Surat for a long time.

Strong Entrepreneurial Spirit & Culture

Even the world acknowledges the diamond city’s rapid growth & transformation. A recent survey conducted by ‘The City Mayors Foundation’, an international think tank on urban affairs, had ranked Surat as the fourth fastest developing city in the world (not India).

Diamond, textile, embroidery are some of the industries attracting big investments and in turn helping development of the city. With virtually no Law and order problem, the city offers improved quality of living.

So what is it about Surat that works in its favour?

Top businessmen believe that the absence of a political environment has helped the economic growth and development of surat the most.

Here, people are business oriented (they have inherited this culture of trade) and hard working; its very common to hear stories of how people came to this city in just one pair of clothes and have went on to build businesses worth hundreds & thousands of crores of rupees.

The older generation have the experience and the contacts, and with their children getting educated in foreign universities and having knowledge of cutting edge technologies, family businesses are poised for bigger growths.

That’s also the reason why compared to other cities, its the non-conventional business sectors like like diamonds, embroidery (art silk and zari) that have contributed to the growth of the city.

Strong local governance (and state governance) coupled with the right infrastructure, has resulted in almost zero unemployment, despite heavy migration and population growth in last couple of decades.

You can expect the people hear to be practical. They’re punctual, especially when it comes to business meetings (so don’t keep them waiting for meetings). At the same time they also love to enjoy the good things and also love some spare time to socialize & gossip (especially in the afternoons), but then most of them can afford to do so as most of them are the bosses themselves.

Great Opportunity for Entertainment Industry

Being one of the fastest growing cities, and home to a thriving business community, Surat is also a market that people associated with the entertainment industry are waiting to tap into.

Catalogues, ad films & corporate films, high-end weddings are some of the segments that offer good opportunities. There’s good demand for celebrities as well, to endorse new projects.

There are many who are already working to get a pie of the lucrative wedding business. From event managers, set designers, fashion photographers, to caterers, all are visiting Surat to meet potential clients.

Great Infrastructure & Cleanliness

The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) today has one of the best water-treatment plants and one of the best solid waste-disposal systems in the country.

If you live in one of the metros of India, you’ll surely be left spellbound seeing the city’s wide roads & flyovers, the way buildings have comes up (with lots of open spaces & wide interior roads) several gardens, cleanliness, and more.

Do you know that shop keepers, street vendors and restaurant owners fear the SMC sanitation workers more than the policeman in Surat? The SMC’s sanitation workers are really strict when it comes to cleanliness. If there’s filth around a paan shop, the owner will be slapped a big fine and in worst case even asked to close shop. If you’re caught throwing a cigarette, be prepared to cough up a fine.

SMC also has a hugely effective road-cleaning project, where SMC workers, armed with brooms, water and scrubbers clean up all the major roads every night.

Well, I guess that’s what is the need of the hour in every city in India.

Besides, the numerous new roads and flyovers ensure motorists have a smooth ride, and one rarely finds traffic snarls (so common in other parts of India). Of the several state-of-the-art infrastructure facilities in Surat, you’ll find several swimming pools of global standard.

Booming Businesses Set to Grow Further

Surat has a huge diamond polishing business (almost half of the world’s diamond-polishing industry is based here) and is also known as India’s diamond capital. It will even grow bigger as the diamond bourse in BKC Mumbai is planning to shift to Surat.

The growth in the diamond, textile and other businesses, along with the focus on infrastructure, has sent the land prices soaring, and real estate is not really cheap here. Although it seems as if most of the real estate owners are inverstors & NRI’s as most of the buildings seem to be vacant.

But its definitely great to see attractively designed cluster of buildings with wide roads, footpaths & gardens.

One of the Best Cities in India

Whenever a study gets as to which are the best cities in India to live in, based on several parameters like “mobility, water supply network, cleanliness, public amenities, pollution control, greenery, safety, and easy processes of getting work done at the corporation”, Surat’s name definitely comes up at the top in the list.

Probably the only thing that surat needs is a good airport! The current airport has limited capacity and doesn’t have night landing or morning take-off facilities.I’m sure the authorities have that in mind.

The SMC’s Rs 150 crore Tapti riverfront project is to develop the banks of the Tapti on the lines of “London-on-Thames”. So in the coming years, you can expect to see walkways, gardens, roads and small commercial hubs on the banks of the river.

Historically, although surat was already a big city when the Britishers were here, its growth was stopped by the rise of Mumbai (Bombay then) but that happened only for a short period. After all, business acumen is built into a Surti’s (native of Surat) genetic code and today Surat is home to several booming businesses.

It’s also a city of diversity, people seem to be more tolerant (historically peaceful), its easy to find non-vegetarian meals considering that majority are vegetarians (they also seen to love food as there are several eating outlets/joints), and its a place where people basically want to focus on enjoying the good things of life.

The only reason why a lot of people have not made the move to Surat yet is because its still a place where you need to be a part of a business. You won’t find good white collar job opportunities here yet and the services industry is not big, compared to other big cities in India.

However, Surat is definitely an interesting city and if you’re from any other big city in India, you definitely would wish that your city offered some of the amenities /facilities that this city offers to its people.

For someone, who’s lived in the metro cities like Mumbai, Surat comes like a breath of fresh air. I hope other cities in India take a cue from Surat and implement some of their practices (especially the cleanliness part and the construction-to-open-space ratio).

However, one thing is for sure! Surat’s transformation into a top-class city is because of the perceptible change of Surtis towards cleanliness; for them cleanliness now is a strict habit and not just awareness.



Related Posts:

  • Singer Neha Kakkar buys bungalow in Rishikesh where she once…
  • Bollywood in Poland, Country with Medieval Hot Spots &…
  • Shabana Azmi: One of the finest actors of Indian cinema
  • How did the Hindi film industry got its name Bollywood?

Filed Under: Film & Media Business

RELATED POSTS

Bollywood celebs flying kites on Makar Sankranti

Bollywood stars celebrate and extend their wishes on Makar Sankranti, the kite-flying festival

On Makar Sankranti (kite-flying festival), Bollywood stars extended their wishes and also indulged in kite flying. While the nation celebrates the auspicious festival of Makar Sankranti, Bollywood celebrities also are getting into the festive spirit and following the annual tradition of flying kites. Akshay Kumar getting into the spirit of the festival, with his daughter […]

Srinidhi Shetty

Miss Supranational Srinidhi Ramesh Shetty is also the most desirable woman of 2016

The gorgeous Srinidhi Ramesh Shetty from Bengaluru has everything working in her favour — beauty, brains and style. I guess a career in film industry is not far away for her now. Srinidhi won the title of the most Desirable Women 2016 (based on the votes received online on www.itimes.com/polls). Few months back Srinidhi was […]

Taiwan film shoot

Taiwan Tourism Bureau to Launch Calendar to Attract Bollywood Filmmakers to Taiwan

Taiwan Tourism Bureau will be launching a calendar, with Bollywood stars, which will be used as promotional material to attract more Bollywood Filmmakers to film in Taiwan. Around 15 Bollywood actors (including television actors) will be taking part in a photography shoot. The shoot will happen at famous scenic locations (popular tourist destinations) in Taiwan […]

Successful Fashion Designer: What it Takes to be One

Fashion designers usually end up working for top fashion houses, or are employed by mass-market manufacturers of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, while some start their own fashion design business. Skills Required There’s no doubt that you need to have a good eye for detail and a great sense of fashion, to be a good […]

wildlife safari photo tours

Kenya Wildlife Safari Photo Tours

Kenya Wildlife Safari Photo Tours: Photograph the spectacular wildlife at popular national parks like Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. Kenya, known for its legendary wildlife and evocative landscapes, is among Africa’s popular safari destination. The country offers photographers and filmmakers several opportunities to capture iconic images of Africa: Graceful giraffes browsing around trees. Elephants […]

Jab harry met sejal

Distributor suffers Rs 60 crore loss due to Shah Rukh and Salman Khan

Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan are in the news (like always) but this time for the wrong reasons. This is the perfect example of why making films is considered a very risky business. Ask distributor Narendra Hirawat of NH Studioz, who suffered a massive loss of Rs 60 crore because of the failure of […]

leonardo dicaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio Finally Wins the Oscar Award for The Revenant

Leonardo DiCaprio has finally managed to win an Oscar Award; the Hollywood star who, in the past has been nominated for several films, finally bagged the Academy award for The Revenant. Yay Leo did it finally.So well deserved.What a speech.I don't take the planet for granted,don't take this night for granted #leo #saveearth — arjun […]

toilet ek prem katha

Women film technicians complain about lack of washrooms for women on shooting locations

Film technicians complain about lack of washroom for women on shooting locations. Bollywood celebrities like Akshay Kumar, Amitabh Bachchan, Vidya Balan provide support to the cause of building more toilets in India. No Washrooms for Women on Shooting Locations For long, women in India have complained about access to toilets. Even in cities, where its […]

stop piracy

Top Bollywood production hiring cyber-security experts to combat piracy

Filmmakers nowadays have to spend money and efforts not only on the films promotions before a release, they also have to ensure that all the requisite safeguards are in place to ensure any pirated copy of their film does not get uploaded on the internet. Cyber security experts are in great demand everywhere, and now […]

Tanushree vs Nana Patekar

Tanushree Dutta sparks India’s #MeToo movement

Tanushree Dutta can be credited for sparking India’s #MeToo movement. After she accused Nana Patekar of harassing her, several other females from the industry (and even other fields) spoke out about the harassment they had to endure at the hand of powerful men. Read more on the Nana Patekar / Tanushree Dutta controversy. What About […]

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Yogesh Somaiya says

    August 29, 2014 at 10:50 am

    Lot of people say that proximity to Mumbai has helped surat but I feel that proximity to mumbai has never helped surat in any way. Due to proximity to mumbai, in fact, Surat had to struggle for Domestic Airport. The Traditional Diamond Businesses which originated and grew in surat shifted their main offices to Mumbai due to lack of export infrastructure (say Airport), the same goes for textile business. Surat is the highest revenue earner for Western Railway but due to proximity to Mumbai it has never got the status of a full fledged railway division.

Primary Sidebar

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING?

RECENT POSTS

music cities

Top music schools / colleges in the world

Top music schools / colleges in the world to learn music performance under expert musicians, to … [Read More...] about Top music schools / colleges in the world

Bollywood in Poland, Country with Medieval Hot Spots & Energetic Cities

Poland is located in the heart of Europe and is well known for its history, which is reflected in … [Read More...] about Bollywood in Poland, Country with Medieval Hot Spots & Energetic Cities

movie trailers

Top Forthcoming Bollywood Movies (& Trailers): Upcoming Entertainers for 2021

Want to know when the next entertainer of your favorite star is going to be released? Want to plan … [Read More...] about Top Forthcoming Bollywood Movies (& Trailers): Upcoming Entertainers for 2021

National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC)

Social Impact of Bollywood on Indian culture

Movies are one of the most influential tools of communication and society does learn a few things or … [Read More...] about Social Impact of Bollywood on Indian culture

bollywood rapes

Representation of women in Bollywood Films

Women in Bollywood films have been subject to stereotypes and objectification, and appeared in … [Read More...] about Representation of women in Bollywood Films

Music Scene in Saudi Arabia

How's the music Scene in Saudi Arabia. Is it really frowned upon? Read more here. Young musicians in … [Read More...] about Music Scene in Saudi Arabia

Shabana Azmi

Shabana Azmi: One of the finest actors of Indian cinema

Shabana Azmi, an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) of Pune, made her film … [Read More...] about Shabana Azmi: One of the finest actors of Indian cinema

war movie

Here’s how much Hrithik Roshan was paid for his 2019 hit film ‘War’

Hrithik Roshan is a superstar in Bollywood and is among the highest paid actors in the film … [Read More...] about Here’s how much Hrithik Roshan was paid for his 2019 hit film ‘War’

sooryavanshi movie

Bollywood facing losses of 5000+ crore due to pandemic lockdown

Almost everybody associated with the film industry is despondent about the future. With COVID-19 … [Read More...] about Bollywood facing losses of 5000+ crore due to pandemic lockdown

Money Scandals

Indian film celebrities caught in Tax Controversies

In Bollywood and other film industries in India, there's a saying that "there's no business like the … [Read More...] about Indian film celebrities caught in Tax Controversies

Amazon Fashion

Useful Read

  • Who coined the term ‘Bollywood’?
  • Dadasaheb Phalke (Father of Indian Cinema)
  • Evolution of Hindi Films
  • Social Impact of Bollywood on Indian culture

Footer

Upcoming Bollywood Movies

  • Love Aaj Kal Movie
  • Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele Movie
  • Hawayein Movie
  • Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan Movie
  • The Hundred Bucks Movie
  • BHOOT: Part One – The Haunted Ship Movie
  • Haunted Hills Movie
  • 'O' Pushpa I Hate Tears Movie
  • Guns Of Banaras Movie
  • Thappad Movie

Bollywood Movie Reviews

  • Malang Review
  • Jawaani Jaaneman Review
  • Panga Review
  • Street Dancer 3D Review
  • Tanhaji – The Unsung Warrior Review
  • Chhapaak Review
  • Good Newwz Review

Top Celebs

  • Ajay Devgn
  • Kajol
  • Saif Ali Khan
  • Shraddha Kapoor
  • Varun Dhawan
  • Deepika Padukone
  • Kangana Ranaut
  • Tabu
  • Aditya Roy Kapur
  • Disha Patani
  • Rajinikanth

About Us

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Write for Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • Sitemap
  • Newsletter

Copyright © 2023 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in