1. 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 90% of India’s required amount of Soda Ash and gives the country about 66% of its national requirement of salt. <br />Kandla {Gujarati: કંડલા) is a seaport in Kutch District of Gujarat state in western India. Located on the Gulf of Kutch, it is one of major ports on west coast. Kandla was constructed in the 1950s as the chief seaport serving western India, after the partition of India from Pakistan left the port of Karachi in Pakistan.<br />Kandla port plays a major role in the country's international trade. Having notched up a string of success, it has emerged as a forerunner, and has carved a niche for itself, by its steady growth and economy of operations. <br />Facilities<br />•Total Custom Bonded Port Area inside the custom fencing is 185 hectares. An additional 76.5 hectares is being developed shortly.•Eleven Dry Cargo Berths in straight quay line in sheltered creek with a total length of 1987 meters.•Six Oil jetties.•One deep draft mooring & Four Cargo Moorings in the inner Harbor area for stream handling.•Total Custom Bonded Port Area inside the custom fencing is 185 hectares. An additional 76.5 hectares is being developed shortly.•Loading/Unloading facilities for barges available for stream handling.•Seventy licensed private Barges available at competitive rates.•Adequate storage capacities in both Dry and Liquid Areas.•Standby Power to the extent of 2000 KV available for emergency operations.•Well Developed Road Network directly connecting to National Highway and Railway Network connecting to the Broad Gauge Train Routes which is further being upgraded.<br />INTRODUCTIONWith the handling over the Port of Karachi to Pakistan, North-West India lost an outlet to the sea. On January 20, 1952, the then Prime Minister, Late Shri Jawaharlal Nehru laid the foundation stone for the new Port. Ever since Kandla has looked forward towards progress and was declared Major Port in 1995. Consistent, enlightened policies have ensured that the port stood up to the challenge of the surging flood of trade created by a hinterland that covers over a million sq. km. from the north and North-West of India. Kandla today has become the hub of India's foodgrains and oil imports.Kandla is a self sufficient, self enhancing Port. It is also among the highest revenue earning Port of India. The Port is the nearest, most economical and most convenient for handling imports and exports of the highly productive granary and industrial belt stretching across Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pardesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat.Kandla Port is the most economical major port in terms of tariff and operational expenditure. The efficiency and all rrequisite user facilities neverthkless confirm to international standards. The Port emphasis on being up to date with the latest technological innovations.Happy labour-management relations and economical handling of heterogeneous cargo is considered the key element to the sucess of the Port of Kandla.<br />Kandla Port<br />Kandla Port, a national port, is one of the eleven most important ports of India. This port is situated on Kandla stream. The first investigation of this stream was undertaken by the British Royal India Navy in 1851 and a detailed survey done in 1922. This port is developed by Joint project of Maharao Shree Khengarji-III and British Government in the 19th century. Standard dry cargo treatment capacity of Kandla Port is 24,000 metric tons per day. The port is under Ministry of Commerce and is managed by a Port Trust with a Chairman as its head. The Kandla Port Trust is run by a board of trustees. There is an administrator - representative of the ministry of Commerce - appointed for the management a free trade zone known as the Kandla Free Trade Zone placed near the port where hundreds of small and international companies are sited also. Owing to fast progress of Kandla port close city like Gandhidham also developed fast.<br />