Economy of Gujarat
Economy of Gujarat
Economy of Gujarat
Economy of Gujarat
Statistics
Contribution[edit]
The world's largest ship breaking yard is in Gujarat near Bhavnagar at Alang.
Reliance Petroleum, one of the group companies of Reliance Industries Limited founded
by Dhirubhai Ambani operates the oil refinery at Jamnagar which is the world's largest grass
roots refinery.[6] The company has also planned another SEZ (special economic zone),
in Jamnagar.[7][8]
Legatum Institute's Global Prosperity Index 2012 recognised Gujarat as the highest-scoring
among all States of India on matters of social capital.
Industrial growth[edit]
One of India's most industrialized states, Gujarat maintains a variety of industries, the principal
ones being general and electrical engineering and the manufacture of textiles, vegetable oils,
chemicals, soda ash, and cement. New industries include the production
of fertilizers and petrochemicals. Major resources produced by the state include cotton, peanuts,
dates, sugarcane, and petrol. The state is rich in calcite, gypsum, manganese, lignite, bauxite,
limestone, agate, feldspar and quartz sand and successful mining of these minerals is done in
their specified areas. Gujarat produces about 91% of India's required amount of soda ash and
gives the country about 66% of its national requirement of salt. Chemical Industries in Gujarat
count for more than 35% of Indian Chemicals production.
In recent years, Gujarat has gained a prominent place in India's automobile industry, with
several automobile plants being set up in the state - Suzuki Motor Gujarat in Hansalpur near
Ahmedabad, Tata Motors and Ford India in Sanand, MG Motor, Hero
Motocorp, JCB in Halol, Honda Motors and Scooters India in Vithalapur, etc.
It is one of India's most prosperous states, having a per-capita GDP significantly above India's
average. Kalol Khambat and Ankleshwar are today known for their oil and natural gas
production. Dhuvaran has a thermal power station, which uses coal, oil and gas. The Tarapur
nuclear station in Maharashtra supplies the remaining power. Also on the Gulf of Khambat, 50
kilometers southeast of Bhavnagar, is the Alang Ship Recycling Yard (the world's largest).
General Motors produces the ‘Astra’ car at Halol near Vadodara. Jalalpur is a large town of
Gujarat, where several small and large textile industrial units have been established. Surat, a
city by the Gulf of Khambat, is a hub of the global diamond trade.
During the period 1960–1990, Gujarat established itself as a leader in various industrial sectors
including textiles, engineering, chemicals, petrochemicals, drugs and pharmaceuticals, dairy,
cement and ceramics, and gems and jewellery. The post-liberalization period saw Gujarat's
state domestic product (SDP) rising at an average growth rate of 14% per annum in real terms
(from 1994 to 2002).
Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Ankleshwar and Vapi are the hub of chemical industries in the state,
having number of manufacturing units (private as well as state owned) manufacturing dyes,
specialty chemicals, agricultural chemicals, pesticides, pigments, colors, etc. Rajkot city is the
hub of engineering manufacturing and has many companies manufacturing auto components,
auto engines, CNC machines, forging & casting parts, etc. The state operating companies like
GNFC, GSPC, GSFC, GMDC are a few among flagship companies of the state.
Agriculture[edit]
Gujarat is the largest producer of major cash
crop like cotton, groundnut, tobacco, cumin, sesamum, etc. in India. Other major crops
produced are Rice, Wheat, Jowar, Bajra, Maize,Tur, and Gram. Gujarat has an agricultural
economy the total crop area amounts to more than one-half of the total land area.
Animal husbandry and dairying have played a vital role in the rural economy of Gujarat. Dairy
farming, primarily concerned with milk production, functions on a cooperative basis and has
more than a million members. Gujarat is the largest processor of milk in India. Amul milk co-
operative federation products are well known all over India and is Asia's biggest dairy.[9] Among
livestock raised are buffalo and other cattle, sheep, and goats. As per the results of livestock
census 1997, there were 209.70 lakh livestock in Gujarat state. As per the estimates of the
survey of major livestock products, during the year 2002–03 the Gujarat produced 6.09 million
tonnes of milk, 385 million eggs and 2.71 million kg of wool. Gujarat also contributes inputs to
industries like textiles, oil and soap.
Automobile[edit]
After Tata Motors relocated the Nano manufacturing plant to Sanand, a small town near
Ahmedabad, Gujarat has emerged as a car manufacturing hub.[10] Major multinational
automobile companies like Suzuki Motor, Ford India, Honda and Hero MotoCorp have plants in
operation in Gujarat.[11] Gujarat also leads in upcoming hybrid and electric vehicle manufacturing
facilities. Suzuki, in partnership with Denso and Toshiba, is building a lithium ion battery
manufacturing facility at a cost of 1700 crore. Suzuki is planning to launch electric cars as well
as electric bikes by 2020.[12] The India-based JSW Group has signed an agreement to invest Rs
4000 crore to promote manufacturing electric vehicles in the state, which includes vehicle
manufacturing, production of batteries, and storage solutions. MG Motors, a subsidiary of
China's largest automobile company SAIC Motors, has bought General Motors' manufacturing
facility in Halol, Gujarat, and is planning to start production by 2019. Tata Motors is also
planning to produce electric cars from its Sanand plant.[13]
Pharmaceutical[edit]
Gujarat is ranked number one in the pharmaceutical industry in India, with a 33% share in drug
manufacturing and 28% share in drug exports. The state has 130 USFDA certified drug
manufacturing facilities. Ahmedabad and Vadodara are considered as pharmaceutical hubs as
there are many big and small pharma companies established in these cities.[5]
Tourism[edit]
Main article: Tourism in Gujarat