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Located in the western region of India, Maharashtra is spread over a large area covering over 307,690 sq km. As per the census of 2001, it has a population of 96.9 million which makes it the second largest state in terms of population. It shares borders with several states which includes Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa.
It is one of the most attractive destinations for foreign direct investment and the state also accounts for 40 percent of the total exports. It is one of the most advanced and industrialised states in the country with petrochemicals, automobiles, pharmaceuticals, financial services, media and entertainment, IT/ ITES and textile industries as its key sectors. It is known for offering a well developed educational infrastructure and also has a good network of professional education institutions and R&D centres.
Its location has given it a strategic advantage and enabled it to carve a niche for itself and today it is recognized as an established state for trade and commerce. The state has been making steady progress on the industrial front and the industrial sector is further strengthened by the availability of skilled manpower, strong infrastructure, favorable state policy and a fabulous institutional framework.
The state has a density of 314 persons per sq km and its sex ratio is 922 females per 1000 males. The literacy rate of Maharashtra is 77% (Census 2001). Its chief industries include Financial Services, Textiles, Auto-ancillaries, Chemical and allied products, Electrical and non-electrical machinery, Petroleum and allied products. Wine, Jewellery, Pharmaceuticals, Engineering goods, Media & Entertainment etc. Its NSDP at current prices in 2004-05 was US$ 34.3 billion. Its annual Per Capita Income at current prices in 2004-05 stood at US$ 621. Crops that are mainly produced in Maharashtra are Groundnut ,Cotton and Sugarcane and major minerals include Coal, Manganese and Iron.
The state boasts of a strong industrial, educational and physical infrastructure which have been largely responsible for the prosperity of state. The network of rail, road and air is quite good. There are 10 domestic airports out of which the primary airports are Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Nashik
Based on the Maharashtra State Economic Survey, from the period between 2002 and 2007, the secondary sector comprising of construction and manufacturing grew at the Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.6 percent while the tertiary sector consisting of trade, hotels and restaurants, communication, banking and insurance grew at a CAGR of 8.7 per cent. The primary sector recorded a
CAGR of 4.3 %. the contribution of primary, secondary and tertiary sector has been recorded at 15.8 per cent, 24.8 per cent and 59.3 per cent, respectively.
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