Surat, located in Gujarat on the banks of the Tapti River, is a major commercial and economic hub in western India. Formerly a prominent seaport, it is now globally renowned for its diamond and textile industries—cutting and polishing about 90% of the world’s diamonds. Surat is a key supplier of apparel and accessories and recorded an impressive 11.5% annual GDP growth from 2001 to 2008. It was ranked India’s “best city” by ASICS in 2013 and is projected to be the world’s fastest-growing city from 2019 to 2035. Surat is also India’s first smart IT city under the Microsoft CityNext initiative, in collaboration with TCS and Wipro.