Surat textile market faces surge in demand ahead of Diwali, transport struggles with parcel overflow

Surat's textile market is witnessing a significant uptick in demand as the festive season approaches, following a slow start earlier in the year due to limited auspicious wedding dates in April and a lull during May and June. With the start of the Shravan month, textile sales have surged steadily, creating a bustling market environment. Parcels are piling up in the market, with transport warehouses struggling to accommodate the overflow. Laborers tasked with collecting parcels from shops are forced to leave them in the market for 4 to 5 days due to the lack of space in transport depots. This sudden spike in demand has overwhelmed the market's logistics systems.

Some transport companies have stopped accepting new bookings, and textile manufacturers have ceased taking new orders before Diwali. The shortage of trucks and the growing backlog of parcels have led major transporters to turn to railways for shipping parcels to other markets.

High demand to continue after Diwali: Kamlesh Jain

Kamlesh Jain, head of the Millennium Market Traders Association, shared with Loktej that due to the upcoming Diwali festival, the market is bustling with traders. "The current demand in the textile market is very strong," he said. "Parcels in Millennium Market-1 are sitting for up to five days because there's no space in the transport depots. Parcels are piled up in the market premises and passageways. We expect this high demand to continue even after Diwali, as traders from other markets are ready to take deliveries after the festival."

Transporters relying on railways for parcel shipments: Neeraj Singh

Neeraj Singh of RK Transport told Loktej that truck owners, who once relied on Surat's transport system, have diverted their trucks to different routes due to last year's slowdown. "We are currently facing a truck shortage as demand has doubled since August," he explained. "There's no space for parcels, and trucks for external markets are hard to find. As a result, five transporters have collectively booked 20 railway coaches to send parcels to Patna, with 10 coaches being filled by our transport company and the remaining 10 by other transporters."

Singh noted that such a surge in business is rare. "Business is booming, and we barely have time to go home after work," he added. "We expect this pace of business to continue for at least another month. Despite recent floods in Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada, and Bihar, demand remains strong, outpacing all available resources."

Truck shortages affecting external market deliveries: Yuvraj Deshle

Yuvraj Deshle, head of the Surat Textile Goods Transport Association, reported that currently, 290 trucks are being dispatched to external markets, a figure expected to reach 300 by Monday. "Transport depots are overflowing, and parcels are sitting in the market for up to three days," he said. "There is a significant shortage of trucks because many truck owners diverted their fleets to other routes during the slow business period, which is now causing shortages for Surat’s transporters."

Despite logistical challenges, the textile market's demand remains strong, driven by the upcoming Diwali festival and the willingness of traders to accept deliveries even after the festivities.