Not Mumbai, Not Delhi: Why Surat Is The True Fashion Capital of India
Surat powers India's fashion behind the scenes with fabrics, embellishments, and diamonds.
The argument over whether Mumbai or Delhi wears the crown of India’s fashion capital has raged for years. Delhi flaunts extravagant, couture-driven styles, while Mumbai leans on chic, laid-back glamour. But beyond the runways and red carpets lies a city that makes both possible—Surat. Known as India’s textile hub, Surat provides the fabrics, sequins, embroidery, and even diamonds that shape what most of the country ultimately wears.
Unlike Mumbai, which thrives on fashion media, designer showrooms, and celebrity culture, or Delhi, home to haute couture displays and luxury shopping corridors, Surat operates as the industry’s backbone. With over 3.5 lakh powerlooms generating nearly 800 crore metres of grey fabric annually and about 470 processing units, the city produces around 1,200 crore metres of processed fabric each year. From polyester chiffons and satin to digitally printed sarees, almost every fabric showcased in Mumbai and Delhi originates in Surat’s looms.
What makes Surat stand out is its 3Ss: Speed, Scale, and Sparkle. It is one of the world’s most vertically integrated textile ecosystems, housing yarn manufacturing, weaving, dyeing, embroidery, and finishing all in one city. This allows fashion trends spotted at international runways or Bollywood events to be replicated and shipped across markets in weeks instead of months.
With around 3,000 embroidery machines and 300 schiffli units, Surat supplies the rich embellishment and zari work that defines India’s bridal and festive fashion. Adding to this sparkle is Surat’s other crown jewel—diamonds. As the country’s diamond polishing capital, now increasingly promoting lab-grown diamonds, Surat is as integral to India’s jewellery as it is to textiles.
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Homegrown labels are also reinforcing Surat’s status. Brands like Ganga Fashions, originally an export house, have set up immersive concept stores in the city. Their products range from textiles to lifestyle categories, reflecting how Surat is no longer content with being just a supplier, but a hub for holistic fashion experiences. By rooting themselves locally rather than rushing to metros like Mumbai or Delhi, such brands highlight Surat’s confidence as a global fashion engine.
With India’s textile and apparel market projected to hit USD 350 billion by 2030 and exports targeted at USD 100 billion, Surat is central to this expansion. The city’s synergy with Tiruppur, the knitwear hub, ensures that India moves up the value chain—from just exporting fabrics to exporting finished fashion goods. And this is where Surat quietly but firmly lays claim to the title of India’s fashion capital: not with glossy showrooms or couture weeks, but by shaping the very foundation of everything Indian fashion stands for.
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