In the busy streets of Surat, a city known for its strong textile industry, a quiet transformation is taking place. Earlier, the market was mostly driven by wholesale deals and local shops. But now, small textile brands are creating new paths—online. From the sounds of weaving machines to the quiet buzz of online sales, these small businesses are stepping into the world of eCommerce.
With the help of the right eCommerce development company, this shift is helping small businesses reach new markets, grow their brand, and compete on a larger scale—without needing a big showroom or large staff. Going digital is opening doors for many, making Surat’s rich textile tradition more visible and accessible to everyone. They’re now reaching customers far beyond Surat’s traditional markets.
Table of contents
- The Looms of Legacy: Surat’s Textile Heritage
- Why e-commerce makes sense for small textile businesses in Surat
- Turning the Tide: The Move to eCommerce
- Platforms Powering Digital Growth
- Role of digital marketing in business growth
- Challenges on the Digital Road
- Success Stories from the Streets of Surat
- Final Thoughts
- FAQs
The Looms Of Legacy: Surat’s Textile Heritage
Surat’s reputation as a textile hub stretches back generations. It’s a city where entire families have worked with fabrics, dyeing, printing, stitching and selling, from compact wholesale shops nestled along tight commercial corridors. Even today, walking through the markets offers a glimpse into this rich legacy: reams of synthetic sarees, delicate chiffons and embroidered materials line the shopfronts, each with its own story.
In recent years, however, this traditional industry has begun to evolve. Many small and mid-sized textile businesses are embracing digital tools and online marketplaces to reach a wider audience. From creating Instagram storefronts to listing products on e-commerce platforms, these sellers are adapting to the changing times. This shift not only helps them grow beyond local limitations but also brings Surat’s craftsmanship to buyers across the country and even the world. The heart of the textile trade remains the same, but its reach is expanding every day.
Why E-commerce Makes Sense for Small Textile Businesses in Surat
eCommerce is more than just a trend; for small textile businesses, it’s a lifeline. With limited physical space, minimal marketing budgets and tight margins, going online offers:
Lower operating costs—no need for a large showroom.
Wider market reach—Products can be delivered to customers across the country or even globally.
Direct customer engagement—Sellers can interact directly with buyers, gather feedback and build loyalty.
Faster inventory turnover—new arrivals and seasonal trends can be shared instantly via digital platforms.
Turning The Tide: The Move to Ecommerce
As the world moved online, especially after the pandemic, many small textile businesses in Surat started exploring e-commerce for the first time.
What began as a way to keep their business alive soon turned into a chance to grow. Some owners, running their shops from small spaces, started getting orders from cities like Delhi and Chennai and even countries like the UK. They were no longer limited to local customers; online platforms like Amazon, Flipkart and Meesho helped them reach a much bigger audience.
With the help of a digital marketing agency in Surat, these businesses can learn how to build an online presence, promote their products and attract more buyers. Instead of waiting for people to walk into their shops, now they focus on web traffic, people visiting their stores online.
Many of these transitions are guided by an e-commerce development company in Surat, helping businesses build online stores that are easy to manage, mobile-friendly, and designed to convert visitors into loyal buyers.
Platforms Powering Digital Growth
More and more textile business owners in Surat are using different online platforms based on their needs, budget and the type of customers they want to reach. There are a few platforms that these brands can use to grow; some of them include
Shopify: is ideal for sellers with premium fabrics or special saree collections, offering
- A customizable online store
- Strong branding opportunities
Meesho: is popular among small-scale sellers due to:
- Its easy-to-use, mobile-friendly platform
- Low or no upfront investment
Instagram and Whatsapp: serve as digital catalogs, allowing sellers to
- Share product updates
- Interact with customers directly
- Take orders while maintaining a personal touch
Role Of Digital Marketing In Business Growth
It’s not just about being online, it’s about being seen online. Digital marketing plays a huge role in helping these businesses grow:
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) improves visibility in Google search.
Facebook & Instagram Ads attract the right audience through targeted campaigns.
Influencer marketing taps into lifestyle creators who showcase ethnic wear.
Google My Business listings help maintain credibility and support offline reach.
Several digital agencies and e-commerce development companies in Surat specialise in helping small textile sellers create compelling content, track customer behaviour and build engagement through social media.
Challenges On The Digital Road
Despite these successes, the road to digital transformation isn’t without its snags:
Shipping and logistics remain a core hurdle, particularly for bulkier or high-value items.
Product presentation online, such as fabric photography and accurate descriptions, requires a skill set not all traditional merchants have.
Tech literacy is a barrier for older shop owners, many of whom still rely on handwritten ledgers.
And customer service expectations, refunds, chat response times and reviews demand a shift in mindset.
Success Stories from the Streets of Surat
Fable Attire – Sustainable Fashion Brand
Fable Attire, rooted in Surat’s textile ecosystem, specialises in ethically produced, sustainable garments including handloom fabrics, organic cotton and natural dyes .
Working closely with local artisans and offering global shipping, Fable has gained traction among eco-conscious consumers in India, the US, Europe and Southeast Asia .
French Crown – Fast‑Fashion menswear D2C
Founded by Surat natives Ilesh and Bhavdip Ghevariya, French Crown launched in 2017 targeting men’s apparel with a fast-fashion mindset. They focus on reducing dead stock by offering 4,000+ designs, 200 new styles weekly and a customisable size range up to suit size 52.
Revenue leapt from ₹12 cr in FY21 to ₹47.5 cr in FY22 (4× growth), with around 60% of sales coming from export markets including the US, UK, Canada, Mexico and Australia
Anand Sarees – Legacy to eCommerce Pioneer
Anand Sarees, part of J.R. Dyeing and Printing Mills (est. 1973), began its eCommerce journey in 2015, becoming one of the first Surat manufacturers to sell sarees online via Amazon, Flipkart and their own channels.
Third-generation family members Amit and Ankur Tulsian led this digital pivot, integrating online sales with traditional manufacturing and wholesale networks.
Sudathi – Affordable Ethnic Wear
Launched in September 2023 by three Surat-based brothers (Hiren, Viren & Darshan Lathiya), Sudathi offers budget-friendly sarees, kurtis and western wear. Within just eight months, they recorded over ₹9 cr in sales .
Best‑selling items include Banarasi sarees priced at ₹499 and Maharashtra Paithani sarees at ₹749, achieving ₹1 cr revenue in three months. With 1500 SKUs at launch and a mobile app boasting 100k+ downloads (4.4 rating), Sudathi is poised to cross ₹100 cr in revenue soon .
Final Thoughts
Surat’s small textile brands are not just keeping up with the times, they’re growing in new and exciting ways. By stepping into the world of eCommerce, these businesses are reaching customers far beyond their local markets, all while holding on to their rich traditions. It’s a unique blend of old and new: handmade fabrics and embroidery now sit beside digital dashboards and online shopping carts. With support of services from the best digital marketing agency in Surat, even small shops can learn how to sell online, run ads and manage customer orders digitally. The streets still carry the scent of dye and the sound of weaving looms, but now those sounds are joined by the ping of online orders and the movement of delivery vans. Surat’s textile spirit remains strong, only now, it’s going global, one click at a time.
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The founder and partner of Flora Fountain, Shefali leads the Content and Technology divisions. A one-time engineer who started her career writing front-end code, she took a detour sometime during her 9 years in New York, studied journalism and started writing prose, poetry and sometimes jokes. She now has 15...