Surat

:For the town in France, see Surat, Puy-de-Dôme.

Economy

Surat is the heart of India's thriving diamond-polishing industry, which in 2003 cut 92% of the world's diamond pieces and earned India $8 billion in exports. Gujarati diamond cutters emigrating from East Africa established the industry in 1901 and by the 70's Surat-based diamond cutters began exporting stones to the US for the first time. Though a majority of polishing work takes place on small weight stones, Surat's workshops have set their eyes on the lucrative market for finishing larger, pricer stones in the future.

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Furthermore, Surat is an industrial hub for the production of synthetic fibers and man made fabrics-contributing almost 28% of India's total synthetic fiber output and 40% of the nation's total man made fabric production. So vital is the textile industry in Surat that the city has distinguished itself as the "Manchester of the East" since British times.

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