Gujarat State - India's no 1 performing state

Gujarat is the most industrialized state in India after Maharashtra. It is located in northwestern India near the border with Pakistan and its capital is Gandhinagar. The major cities in this state are; Ahmedabad, Baroda, Surat, and Rajkot. Ahmedabad is the largest city in the state and the sixth largest city in India. The basis for creation (demarcation) of the state in its present form on May 1, 1960, was linguistic majority (Gujarati).

The primary language is Gujarati. The majority of people are Hindus, with significant percentage following Buddhism, Islam, Jainism, Zoroastrianism and Christianity.

It is the home state of the Indian Institute of Management, located in the capital city of Ahmedabad. It is rated as the best management Institute in Asia by Asiaweek and one of the best in the world. Its graduates work in high positions for Fortune 500 companies of America and other top companies around the world.

It is one of India's most prosperous states, having a per Capita GDP much more than India's average. Most of it's living standards rival that of South-East Asia.

Surat, a city by the coast of the Gulf of Khambat, is rated one of India's cleanest cities and is the hub of global diamond trade connecting it to Antwerp in Belgium. It is interesting to note that much of the diamond trade is controlled by a handful of families professing the Jain faith.

Gujarat is a state with a reputation for people with shrewd business acumen and considerable financial talent. But apart from this stereotypical image, there have been Gujaratis with various other talents. Gujarat has given to India two of its biggest leaders in the Indian Independence Movement, Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Gujaratis have also made their mark in the arts and the sciences, although they are comparatively few in number when compared to the number of (small and large) businessmen and entrepreneurs.

Gujarat is the largest producer of milk in India. Anand is host to Amul dairy which is one of the largest milk product producers of the world.

Main tourist places: Palitana, Diu, Kutch, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Rajkot.

Resources: cotton, peanuts, dates, sugarcane, petrol.

The last remaining Asian lions live in a game reserve in Gujarat.