Industries in Surat and across South Gujarat will no longer face the weekly eight-hour power staggering announced by the Gujarat government, after objections from industrial stakeholders led to the withdrawal of the measure. Dakshin Gujarat Vij Company Ltd (DGVCL) has been instructed not to enforce the scheduled 4pm-to-midnight power cut on one day each week.
The rollback came a week after the staggering plan was introduced. DGVCL officials said the utility had received communication from the government directing it to discontinue the arrangement. A senior DGVCL official said the weekly restriction had been announced after considering multiple factors, but the latest instructions indicated that it was no longer required.
Under the withdrawn arrangement, factories were to experience an eight-hour interruption from 4pm to midnight on a fixed day every week. The timing became a major concern for industrial units because the evening shift is considered an important production window for several manufacturing segments in the region.
The Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI) welcomed the decision, describing it as industry-focused and particularly significant before the Diwali production season. The chamber said textile businesses receive orders from across the country during the festival period and must complete them within tight delivery schedules. It had argued that the proposed power cuts could disrupt production commitments and affect the livelihoods of a large workforce.
“SGCCI made an immediate and reasoned representation to the state government highlighting the potential disruption. As a result, the govt has withdrawn the power cut,” Ashok Jirawala, president of SGCCI, said.
Surat and the wider South Gujarat industrial belt include textile processing houses, weaving units, diamond and lab-grown diamond businesses, and plastic, chemical and engineering clusters. These industries depend on predictable electricity supply for production schedules, particularly where processing and manufacturing operations run across multiple shifts.
The decision means factories and mills are expected to continue operating without the fixed weekly staggering during the high-demand season. According to SGCCI, uninterrupted operations will support production timelines, market supplies and employment stability. The chamber’s response links the power-supply decision not only to factory output but also to the ability of businesses to meet orders and maintain work for industrial labour.
The episode also highlights the close connection between electricity management and the functioning of Surat’s industrial economy. A scheduled restriction that may appear limited in duration can affect production planning when it coincides with a critical shift and a seasonal increase in orders. In this case, the utility’s withdrawal followed representations from the region’s organised industrial sector.
DGVCL will not implement the earlier 4pm-to-midnight weekly staggering. The utility’s revised position follows the latest government communication received by its officials.
