About Surat
Surat, previously known as Suryapur, is a city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It is the administrative capital of the Surat district. The city is located 306 km south of the state capital, Gandhinagar, on the left bank of the Tapti River (Tapi), the center being around 22 km (14 mi) from the river's mouth. Surat is Gujarat's second-largest city with a population of 4.6 million at the 2011 census. It is the eighth largest city and ninth largest metropolitan area of India. Surat is the 34th-largest city by area and 4th-fastest developing cities in a in a study conducted by the City Mayors Foundation, an international think tank on urban affairs. The city registered an annualised GDP growth rate of 11.5 per cent over the seven fiscal years between 2001 and 2008. The city is located 284 kilometres (176 mi) south of the state capital, Gandhinagar; 265 kilometres (165 mi) south of Ahmedabad; and 289 kilometres (180 mi) north of Mumbai.