Surat: Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal, IAS, briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the progress of development works underway around the Surat High-Speed Rail (HSR) Station Area, outlining a series of first-of-its-kind planning initiatives designed to reshape the region into a major national growth hub.

The Prime Minister Narendrabhai Modi was on one-day visit to his home-state Gujarat during which he visited Antroli based bullet train station for Surat which is in advanced stage of construction. India’s first bullet train is going to be operated on Surat route in upcoming two years period as part of the Ahmedabad – Mumnbai high-speed rail project.

According to officials, the Surat Urban Development Authority (SUDA), working in close coordination with the Government of Gujarat, the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and JICA, is preparing five Town Planning (TP) Schemes dedicated specifically to the HSR influence zone. This marks India’s first instance of HSR-focused development being integrated directly at the TP Scheme level, signaling a shift toward advanced, transit-oriented urban planning.

During the briefing, it was also conveyed that NITI Aayog, in collaboration with the Government of Gujarat, has formulated an Economic Master Plan for the Surat Economic Region (SER). This long-term blueprint incorporates key economic and urban components designed to position Surat as a pivotal engine for Viksit Bharat @2047.

Major features integrated under the SER framework include:

-Bharat Bazaar, envisioned as a large-scale commercial and logistics hub

-EDU-City, planned as a cluster for higher education and knowledge-driven industries

-Sustainable Townships, designed to promote environmentally conscious living

-Enhanced multi-modal connectivity, linking Surat to HSR station, road, metro, and regional transport networks

Officials said these initiatives collectively aim to transform the Surat region into one of the country’s most dynamic, future-ready growth corridors, aligned with India’s long-term development goals.