Surat’s textile markets will remain open on Sundays until Diwali after the Federation of Surat Trade and Textile Associations (FOSTTA) backed seven-day operations to manage rising festive orders, clear pending consignments and accommodate buyers arriving from other cities.
The decision followed appeals from trade participants seeking additional business days during one of the busiest periods of the year for Surat’s textile trade. The extended schedule is intended to help manufacturers and traders process orders while maintaining the movement of finished products through the city’s transport network.
FOSTTA secretary Dinesh Katariya said Sunday operations would give traders more time to transport material and allow buyers from other cities to visit and inspect products on weekends. Buyers travelling to Surat for festive procurement often have limited time during weekdays, according to the trade association’s account of the decision.
Manufacturing units in and around Surat are dispatching large quantities of finished textile products each day. The markets are receiving a steady flow of parcels, many of which are being routed to destinations across the country through transport networks. The additional working day is expected to ease pressure on traders and logistics operators as order volumes increase.
The scale of the movement was reflected in the dispatch of around 200 truckloads of textile products from Surat on Monday, according to industry representatives cited in the report. The figure points to higher procurement activity among wholesalers and retailers ahead of Navratri and Diwali, although the source did not provide a comparison with dispatch volumes during an earlier period.
For Surat’s textile market system, the Sunday decision links retail procurement, wholesale trading, manufacturing and freight movement into a longer weekly operating cycle. Traders will have additional time to receive parcels from production units, complete transactions with visiting buyers and move finished products to markets outside Gujarat.
The move also places greater emphasis on the city’s logistics networks during the festive season. Textile products manufactured in and around Surat must be sorted, traded, packed and dispatched across several stages before reaching wholesalers and retailers in other parts of the country. Keeping the markets open on Sundays is intended to prevent a weekly pause from adding to pending orders and delivery pressure.
Industry participants expect the extended schedule to improve delivery timelines and support uninterrupted supply during the weeks leading up to Diwali. The decision is also expected to facilitate purchases by buyers who cannot complete market visits on regular weekdays.
FOSTTA’s Sunday-opening arrangement will continue until Diwali, while traders and manufacturers prepare for sustained order and dispatch activity during the festive period.
