How Surat became a synthetic fabric city
Surat was one of the great ports of Mughal India, trading silk, cotton and brocade, and famous for zari. In the twentieth century its weavers moved to art silk (viscose rayon) on power looms, and from there to polyester. Today it is India's largest centre for synthetic fabric.
Win Star Industries, Surat. Updated 21 October 2026.
A port and its cloth
In the seventeenth century Surat was a leading port on India's west coast, with European trading companies setting up factories there. Its textiles, from fine cottons to silk brocades, went out across the Indian Ocean.
Zari and brocade
Surat has long been known for zari, the gold and silver thread woven into saree borders and brocades. The craft is still practised in the city.
Art silk and the power loom
Through the twentieth century, Surat's weavers took up art silk, as viscose rayon was called, and the power loom. Art silk gave silk's look at a price more buyers could pay.
Polyester
As polyester filament yarn became widely available in India, Surat's looms moved to it: DTY, FDY, crape and more. The city's weaving, processing and trading grew into the largest synthetic fabric cluster in the country. We have been part of that trade since 1990.
From us
Polyester filament yarn: dty, fdy, poy and bsy in many counts. See also the glossary and our other articles.