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.