FEATURES

Population : Approx. 12 Lakhs
Altitude : 15 feet above sea level
Best Season : August  to October  and January  to  March
Clothing : Tropical in Summers and light woollens in Winter
Languages Spoken : Telugu, Hindi ,English

HISTORICAL VISAKHAPATNAM

Visakahapatnam, the Port city is the jewel on the eastern coast of India. The City is a harmonious blend of the magical past and the bustling present with a breath taking panorama of golden beaches, lush green fields, verdant valleys and splendid monuments from a historically rich and religious heritage.

      Matchless in beauty and landscape, Visakhapatnam is said to have derived its name from the deity 'Visaka' ( the God of Valour). The history of the town can be traced back to Ashoka the Great (272-232 B.C) when this was a small fishing village of the Kalinga Empire. Later on this Port town successively passed on from the Andhra Kings of Vengi to the Pallavas, Cholas and the Gangas and then later in the 15^th century Visakhapatnam became a part of the Vijaya Nagar Empire. The British took charge of this beautiful land and transformed it into a busy and flourishing Port town.

    Visakahapatnam has always been an important location on the map of the country, right from the ancient times, especially during the British Rule. The city was also an important  target of Japanese attack during the World War II. The Pakistanis too attacked the city during the Indo Pak war in 1972, but fortunately no damage was done to the city. 

Visakahapatnam is the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command  of the Indian Navy. The city is also experiencing a boom in tourism, as the city is endowed with beautiful beaches, stunning scenic landscape and a rich cultural heritage. The three majestic rocky ranges - The Kailasha Hill, The Porlupalam Hill and the Yarada Hill form an excellent backdrop and enhance the charm of this beautiful Port city. 

As one enters the harbour, a Roman Catholic Church perched atop the Kanyamarykonda (Ross Hill), the Durga Konda with the shrine of a Muslim saint Ishaque Madina, and a temple nestled over the Venkateswarakonda hill instantly draws our attention and they exhibit the secular flavour of the town. 

INDUSTRIAL VISAKHAPATNAM

Visakhapatnam, the industrial hub has a lot to its credit. If it were not for the port of Vizag which was opened way back in the October of 1933, Vizag would still be a sleepy fishing village. The port of Visakhapatnam handled about 35.65 MT of cargo this year. This happens to be the maximum amount handled in the country. Now this port promises to become one of  Asia's major ports by the 21st century.

• The opening of the Shipyard in the early 40's by Seth Walachand Hirachand laid the early foundation for industrialisation in Visakahapatnam. This later became nationalised and was renamed as Hindustan Shipyard Limited.

• Caltex opened its oil refinery with a capacity of 60,000 tpa. This too was nationalised and renamed as Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited. HPCL now operates a 4.5 mtpa refinery.

• The Government owned Bharat Heavy Plates and Vessels (BHPV) enjoyed a sunny harvest during its inception in the early 70's and 80's, but later lost out to more eager and competitive rivals like Larsen & Toubro, Tata etc.

• By far and large the biggest Industrial investment in Visakhapatnam is the Rs. 8,529 crore Steel Plant which became operational in 1981, though the foundation stone was laid in 1971.

  The Export Processing Zones have a good infrastructure for software exporters.

   Other important industries include:

• Hindustan Zinc Ltd.
• Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) Oil Refinery
• Visakhapatnam Port Trust
• Coromandel Fertilisers
• LG Polymers
• Dredging Corporation Of India

  Power Projects

• 'Navratna' National  Thermal Power Corporation - With a 1000 MW plant
• Hindujas with a 1040 Thermal Plant
• Simhadri Thermal Power Project is well under way
• Another Hinduja  Project is to start later this year.

The State Government is doing quite a lot to convert Andhra Pradesh into a mega Industrial Park.  The A.P Industrial Infrastructure Corporation is in the process of developing the Visakhapatnam - Kakinada belt into a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and has acquired more than half of 8,664 acres for this purpose.

But there is a requirement of top class infrastructure in Transport, Telecommunications and Tourist amenities before the mega bucks start coming in to set up a base here.