Union Budget 2023-24
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SNAPSHOT

Tourist arrival of over 1.2 Mn in 2020

Agriculture and tourism sectors are major contributors to the economy of Puducherry and about 45% of the UT's population depends on agriculture and allied activities.

The main crop of this territory is paddy. The principal food crops are rice, maize, ragi, and pulses. The cash crops include cotton, sugarcane, oilseeds, coconut, sesame and chillies. The important horticultural products are bananas and mangoes. Puducherry is the largest producer of bananas, flowers, tapioca, coconut, groundnut and sugarcane.Thus, the business community is welcome to invest in Puducherry and become a part of the growth story of the territory.

Puducherry has mineral deposits of limestone, clay, lignite, phosphate rocks, canker, and laterite. Many lucrative investment opportunities in Puducherry are available as some of the territory's key industries include chemicals, textiles, leather, electronics, light engineering, metals, tourism and food processing.

Puducherry is situated on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. Being a former French colony, the territory witnesses a prominent presence of French culture. The territory is conveniently located about 135 km away from Chennai, with a minor port located between two major ports at Chennai and Tuticorin. Gingee and Pennaiyar are the major rivers in the region. Ministry of Shipping has identified a lighthouse in the territory to be developed in phase-I of its Lighthouse Tourism initiative.

Chemicals

Presence of over 1,700 units producing chemicals and chemical-based products

Leather

Largest producer of bananas, flowers, tapioca, coconut, groundnut and sugarcane

Fish

Untapped marine resources of 61,700 MT offer huge scope for investments in packaged marine products and marine processing plants

Agriculture

Agriculture

Agriculture is one of the most important occupations for the people of Puducherry

  • In November 2020, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) unveiled the ‘Potential Linked Credit Plan’ (PLP) for Puducherry worth $467.74 mn for 2021-22  
  • Vision 2025 is signified by the following targets for Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development
    • GSDP of Primary Sector valued at $41.2 mn
    • Targeted area under cultivation measuring 29,000 hectares
    • 5 Food Parks
    • 4 Dairy Unions
Tourism and hospitality

Tourism and hospitality

Puducherry is an attractive tourist destination with its beaches, French architecture, churches and Hindu temples

  • While domestically, tourist arrival was observed from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kerala, Chennai, Odisha and West Bengal, foreign travellers were mostly from European countries, especially France
  • In 2019, Puducherry witnessed the arrival of 1,713,248 domestic tourists and 149,919 foreign tourists
  • The total occupancy capacity in Puducherry stands at 5,000 rooms as of 2018
Marine Products

Marine Products

The coastline is about 45 kms, with 26 landing centers and 1,000 sq. km. of continental shelves (with potential for marine fisheries )

  • It has a fishermen population of about 95,467, of which 29,383 fishermen are actively engaged in fishing from 27 marine fishing villages and 23 inland fishing villages/hamlets
  • The union territory is also endowed with freshwater area in the form of ponds and tanks suitable for both capture and culture fishery
  • In January 2021, the Department of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare in Puducherry introduced a helpline to assist fishermen in contacting the department to resolve their grievances
  • In addition, the government will provide transponders at a subsidised rate. It will offer a subsidy of $ 68.90 and as transponder costs $ 206.69, the fishermen would only have to pay $ 137.79 to procure the device
     
69

Urbanisation Rate

Females/ 1000 Males
1112

Female/Male Ratio

Male/Female Ratio

Demographics

66% of Puducherry's population is in the working age group of 15-59 years.

The total population of the territory is over 1.2 mn.
 

Industrial Land Bank Portal

GIS - based map displaying available infrastructure for setting up business operations in the state.

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