He spies for us on meetings of Dutch price-fixers in Surat.

ECONOMIST: Historical geography

Surat has managed that - and in doing so has become a yardstick for South Asia's city managers.

CNN: Pressure Points

IBM, for example, is establishing a foothold in 14 of India's second-tier cities, from Surat on the west coast to Bhubaneswar in the east.

ECONOMIST: Domestic outsourcing in India

The Surat Thani biomass plant in Thailand uses waste trimmings from six palm-oil mills to create more than 70 megawatts of power each year.

FORBES: From Asia, 5 Inspiring Ways To Green The City