Agriculture is the mainstay of the state of Maharashtra. It is the main occupation of the people.

Both food crops

and cash crops are grown in the state. The main food crops of Maharashtra are mangoes, grapes, bananas,
oranges, wheat, rice, jowar, bajra, and pulses. Cash crops include groundnut, cotton, sugarcane, turmeric, and
tobacco.

The total irrigated area which ahs been used for crop cultivation is 33, 500 square kilometers. Large areas of the
state have been brought under fruit cultivation. The fruits which have added to the treasury of the state are the
Nagpur oranges, oranges of Bathplug, the Alphonso Mangoes and the grapes of Nashik.

The agricultural growth rate has increased to 1.97%. To make things more accessible for the farmers the interest
rate for the loans has been decreased to 6%. A very important problem is the dependence on rainfall. To lessen
the dependence irrigation facilities have been extended to an additional area of 1.4 lakh hectares. To provide
relief to stressed farmers who have been affected by the drought conditions, Rs.5200 crore has been sanctioned
by the central government. This has been done to six districts of the Vidharba region. To compensate the crop
losses Rs367 crore has been granted to the poor farmers. Apart from that stringent actions have been taken on
2821 illegal money lenders.

Research on agriculture and agricultural products needs to be conducted to tackle the diverse agro - climatic
differences. Apart from that the transport and communication services, infrastructure development in the rural
area has helped in developing the agricultural production of the state.
Media and entertainment Industry: Bulwark of Maharashtra’s Identity
Agriculture
Although Maharashtra is a highly industrialized state of India, agriculture continues to be the main
occupation of the state. Principal crops
include rice, jowar, bajra, wheat, pulses, turmeric, onions, cotton,sugarcane and several oil
seeds including groundnut, sunflower and soyabean. The state has huge areas, under fruit cultivation of
which mangoes, bananas, grapes, and oranges are the main ones. Irrigationfacilities are being extended
so that agriculture could be made less dependent upon rain water. The net irrigated area totals
33,500 square kilometres.

A filmmaker captures his shot / source

No other state in India or even internationally has such a diverse media industry. Marathi, Hindi,
English, Gujarati, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Urdu and Sindhi media have a major presence in the state
be it newspapers, TV channels, movies, or other electronic and digital products and services.

The most prolific symbol of the media industry is undoubtedly Bollywood. Total box office
earnings from Bollywoodfilm releases rose to Rs. 2942 crores in 201325. The films earn
additional revenue through overseas release, sale of music and satellite rights, and digital
releases. The film industry export revenues were expected to cross US $ 5.7 billion28. The
industry provides employment to at least 175000 people.

Marathi film industry producing films in the official language of Maharashtra – has also boomed
with many films crossing Rs.25 crores each in box office collections in recent years26. The
industry has grown to deliver more hits and therefore producers are flocking to it due to its high
return on investment.

Additionally the state also produces feature films in other languages such as Gujarati, Konkani,
Bhojpuri, and Sindhi. The TV industry has proliferated in Maharashtra on an astronomical scale.
Major national broadcasting houses that are based in Maharashtra are Times TV, Star, CNN-IBN,
and Zee. The state provides excellent infrastructure facilities for film as well as digital production.
There are several media studios and production centers in Mumbai metropolitan region and in
Pune and Kolhapur.
The print media is also booming in Maharashtra with newspapers and periodicals in almost every
Indian language being published here. Every publication enjoys wide coverage and success.
Due to the huge media presence, the advertising industry has also grown. Major advertising
houses have their presence in Maharashtra to cater to the vast media and online needs of
industry.
Maharashtra
Located in western India, Maharashtra is one of the largest states with an area of 3.08 lakh square
kilometres or 9.4 per cent of India’s geographical area. The state can be broadly divided into three
different regions – Konkan Coastal Line, Deccan plateau and Western Ghats. Variant topography of the
state offers you the best it has – deciduous forests, arid deserts, coastal regions, lofty hills and lush green
forests. The moderate summers and mild winters of the state make your holidays most pleasant
experience.
The economic scene in Maharashtra is intriguing. With a per capita Net State Domestic Product (NSDP)
of Rs. 28,414 Maharashtra stood second only to Haryana among all major states in 2003-04. It is among
the richest states in terms of contribution to the national economy. Maharashtra’s Gross State Domestic
Product (GSDP) of Rs. 328,808 crore in current prices was 13 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) of India in 2003-04. Mumbai, the state’s capital city, is considered to be the commercial and
financial capital of India and this city alone contributes more than 35 per cent to the country’s direct taxes.
The state boasts of an enterprising farming community growing among other things sugarcane, Alphonso
mangoes and grapes. The Maharashtra Employment Guarantee Scheme (MEGS) is a much talked about
social welfare measure and the National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREG) Bill 2004 proposes
replicating a similar programme all over the country.
Maharashtra is richly endowed within various minerals of industrials importance like manganese, coal,
iron ore, limestone, copper, bauxite, silica sand, and common salt. These minerals are found in
substantial quantities in in the eastern districts with some deposits in the west. Bituminous coal are found
in the in the districts of Bhandra, Nagpur and Chandrapur. Undersea oil deposits were discovered in and
near Mumbai in the 1970s. The mountainous region of the state is a virtual repository of rich timber
reserves.
Sorghum, millet, and pulses dominate the cropped area. Rice grows where rainfall exceeds 40 inches,
and wheat is a winter crop in fields that retain moisture. Cotton, tobacco, and peanuts are major crops in
areas having 24-39 inches of rainfall. Irrigation dams in rain-shadow areas have resulted in a rich
sugarcane yield. Mangoes, cashew nuts, bananas, and oranges are popular orchard crops.
Maharashtra is one of the most industrialized states in the country. Cotton textile industry is the largest
and the oldest industry in the state. Important centers of this industry are located at Bombay, Nagpur,
Sholapur, Akola, and Amravati; handloomed goods are produced especially in and around Nagpur and
Sholapur. Traditional and agro industries also make significant presence in Jalgaon and Dhule (edible oils
processing) and Kolhapur, Ahmadnagar, Sangli, and Miraj (sugar refining). Fruit canning and preservation
are important in Nagpur, Bhusawal, Ratnagiri, and Bombay. Timber, bamboo, sandalwood, and tendu
leaves (for cheap cigarettes) are the important forests produce. Small-scale agro-processing, consisting of
conversion of food grains, oilseeds, and other crops into items of daily consumption, is virtually ubiquitous
in the state.
Maharashtra utilizes both hydroelectricity and thermal electricity. The producing plants of the former are in
western areas of the state while that of the latter form of power are in the eastern region. Maharashtra is
the home of India’s first nuclear plant (located at Tarapur, 70 miles north of Mumbai).
The state’s greatest concentration of heavy industry and high technology is in the Mumbai-Pune zone.
The petrochemical industry has witnessed a massive growth in the state after the installation of India’s off
shore oil wells near Mumbai in 1976. Oil refining and the manufacture of such items as agricultural
implements, transport equipment, rubber products, electric and oil pumps, lathes, compressors, sugar-mill
machinery, typewriters, refrigerators, electronic equipment, and television and radio sets are assuming
increasing importance. Automobile industry is in its infancy but holds high promises. Mumbai is the capital
of Indian film industry and is popularly known as Bollywood. Aurangabad and Thane are also important
industrial hubs.
Maharashtra is well connected by roads, air and railways. Five national highways connect the state with
Delhi, Calcutta, Allahabad, Hyderabad, and Bangalore. State and private transport operators serve all
routes. Inland water transport plays a limited role in Maharashtra, and other than Bombay there are only
minor ports on the western coast.