Diamond city Surat set for image makeover

Vadodara, Jan 30 (PTI) Diamond city Surat is fastemerging as a hospitality and recreational hub in Gujarat.

The Gujarat Government has signed an agreement with aprivate hotelier for a seven-star hotel to be built at thecost of Rs 270 crore in Surat, official sources said today.

Apart from this, several projects are in the pipelinewhich, on completion, will transform Surat''s image.

Surat''s diamond industry has an annual turnover of Rs70,000 crore, while the figure for textile sector is Rs 30,000crore.

The Government is determined to put the south Gujaratcity on the hospitality and entertainment map prominently, thesources said.

"The hospitality sector in Surat is all set to boom inthe next couple of years with Rs 17059 crore worth of MOUssigned for 48 hotels and other facilities like a Film City,restaurants and golf club," they told PTI.

The MoUs were signed during the Vibrant Gujarat GlobalInvestors'' Summit held in Gandhinagar early this month. Atleast one lakh jobs will be generated by this huge investmentin the district, the sources said.

Mumbai-based Atlanta Ltd has signed an MOU worth Rs9,500 crore for a luxurious beach resort and a star hotel.

Trans Globe Infrastructure has entered into an MOU worth Rs2100 crore to set up a mega tourism park having internationalfacility, they said.

Trans Globe is also planning to set up a Film CityStudio on 100 acres with a dancing, grooming and actingacademy worth Rs 250 crore and a five-star hotel with a spaat a cost of Rs 200 crore. (more) PTI COR