Surat stands as the largest diamond center in the world, home to more than 3,500 diamond processing units. According to the Gem and Jewelry Export Promotion Council, the upcoming DREAM City—short for Diamond Research and Mercantile City—will cover over 2,000 acres and serve as a major international diamond trading hub. It will host around 10,000 diamond dealer offices, both from India and abroad.
Expected to be completed in the next few years, DREAM City is estimated to cost about Rs 125,000 crore. The Council predicts that this new city will generate a yearly business turnover of Rs 90,000 crore. Gujarat already accounts for nearly 85 percent of the country’s jewelry industry.
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DREAM City – Diamond Research and Mercantile City
The Gujarat government has started planning to build the Diamond Research and Mercantile City, called DREAM City, in Surat. This smart city will be in the southern part of Surat, covering 681 hectares near Khajod City, close to the Outer Ring Road and Dumas Airport.
The city will be an international trade center to help grow the local diamond business and increase exports. It is named DREAM City, which stands for Diamond Research and Mercantile City.
The Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB) hired a team of consultants from HaskoningDHV Consulting Pvt Ltd, which works together with HaskoningDHV Netherlands BV and Knight & Frank India Pvt Ltd. They started working on the project in 2015, soon after the contract was signed on December 19.
DREAM City Master Plan
The planning for Dream City is based on a process created by the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board (GIDB).
The Master Plan team stays in regular contact with the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), Surat Urban Development Authority (SUDA), and other important groups.
An important guide for this work is a study done in 2015 by Darashaw & Co Pvt Ltd called “Development of the City of Dreams in Surat, Gujarat.” This study showed the economic and financial benefits of Dream City and helped the Gujarat government decide to create Dream City Limited to lead the project.
Dream City Limited’s plan covers about 42% of the Urban Development Authority area in Khajod. Since the Urban Development Authority gave its powers in Khajod to Dream City Limited, all meetings with stakeholders done by Dream City Limited are part of the Khajod Urban Development Authority’s work.
Concept of DREAM City
The global trend is to create mixed-use areas with safe, attractive, lively, and easy-to-access public spaces. Ideas like “Work, Live, and Play” or “Work from Home and Recreation” are popular and seen as sustainable for the future.
A city with a diverse culture and entertainment options is important to attract foreign companies. City governments make up for lost spaces by setting aside special zones for different businesses, avoiding similar developments in other areas.
A complete and detailed master plan is needed to build a successful city. All local issues must be considered carefully.
Plans should be flexible and change over time to meet market needs. Fixed, long-term plans usually don’t work well. Temporary land use can help the city grow steadily.
We are building top-quality infrastructure in stages. The first phase includes developing the main North-South road with street furniture. Dream City will be built in five phases.
A public participation and consultation process was done for the DP-2035 Khajod Urban Development Authority plan. This part explains how different groups were involved.
Many meetings were held to hear stakeholders’ views and ideas about updating the plan.
Experts joined focus group discussions to review the current situation and future needs.
The consultation was open and cooperative, with working group meetings and detailed suggestions to improve the plan.
Dream City Limited’s plan covers about 42% of the Khajod Urban Development Authority area. Since Khajod’s authority powers were given to Dream City Limited, all consultations by Dream City Limited fall under Khajod’s control.
