Surat aims for the top slot in Gujarat

Surat is fast catching up with Ahmedabad as the biggest city in Gujarat. Not only has the city seen a surge in its population but it has also received a great deal of investments of late. It was also not as badly hit by the earthquake of 2001 and the post-Godhra communal riots as Ahmedabad.

According to the 2001 census, Surat is the second biggest city in Gujarat both in terms of area and population. Its population has surged 80 per cent in the ten years since the 1991 census, from 15.61 lakh to 28 lakh. And if the floating population of Surat is also considered, the city's population would be in excess of 30 lakh. Ahmedabad has a population of around 45 lakh.

According to the latest count of voters for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, Surat has seen the highest growth in the number of voters.

In contrast, Ahmedabad had the lowest growth in the state. In the 1991 census, Surat, Rajkot and Vadodara were almost neck-and neck for the No 2 rank after Ahmedabad. However, Surat has left both Rajkot and Vadodara way behind.

"You take any parameter and Surat is way ahead of both Vadodara and Rajkot," says Gujarat Congress Economic Policy Cell chairman Rupin Patchigar predicting that Surat would soon emerge as the number one city of Gujarat.

Though Surat was hit by pneumonic plague in 1994, it led to the city administration going on a cleanliness drive to prevent the occurrence of such infections in future.

"Surat has many plus points compared to other cities. The main feature is its peaceful nature, leaving people relaxed unlike in Ahmedabad where everybody seems to be tense," says Abdul Rehman Malbari, vice-president of the Ekta Trust, a city-based NGO which works for the final rites of unclaimed bodies.

The city has also got a fair share of investments in the state. According to statistics from the State Industries Commissionerate, investment in the small-scale (SSI) sector in Ahmedabad stood at Rs 1,391 crore in the last year while in Surat the figure is Rs 1,362 crore.

Because of its enterprising and mercantile nature, Surat has been attracting people from all over the country. "No other city has as many rags-to-riches stories as Surat," says Patchigar.

Today Surat has people from as far as Assam, Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu making the city their home. These bring with them their own diversified customs and culture, making a Surat a mixture of traditions.

Many observers in Surat point out that the city has gone from strength to strength, unlike Ahmedabad, which seems to be moving in reverse gear. The traditional strength of the city "" textiles, diamonds and zari "" in the unorganised sector have now been joined by some hi-tech industries in the Hazira area.

From the integrated steel mill of Essar to the heavy engineering workshop of Larsen and Toubro, to the petro chemicals complex of Reliance, it seems the city is gearing up for development. "The corporates of Hazira are the new engines of growth," says former Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) president Praful Shah.

Analysts feel much of the growth in Surat will be on account of the cheaper power that will be available from natural gas in the region and the development of ports. While Cairns and Niko have both struck gas off the Gujarat coast, Shell is coming up with its Rs 2,800-crore LNG terminal as well as a Rs 6,000-crore port at Hazira. The Gujarat Maritime Board is also talking about setting up a new port.

Many in the corporate sector believe the potential of Surat was still not been utilised. "The day Surat gets an airport it would fire on all cylinders," says SGCCI president Ashok Shah. The SGCCI has been spearheading a movement for an airport for several years. The Rs 70-crore airport is expected to be completed in 18 months.

"Even without an airport the growth of Surat has been astounding. You can imagine what will happen once an airport comes in," says Pravin Nanawati, former president of the Surat Diamond Association who is now busy setting up Asia's biggest jewellery park in Surat.

Many in the trade and industry seem to be bitten by Union Finance Minister Jashwant Singh's statement at the recent Vibrant Gujarat summit that Surat had the potential to become an alternative to Mumbai. "Why just Ahmedabad, we can even pip Mumbai to the post," claims Patchigar.