Rich in mineral resources and strategically situated in central India, Vidarbha is poised to attract industrial investment, but has failed to do so, mostly due to the lack of government investment in the industrial sector of the region. Vidarbha contains 100 percent of Maharashtra’s coal deposits and approximately 80 percent of the state’s best quality iron ore deposits. According to Vidarbha Industries Association, coal, steel, power and cement sectors could draw upwards of 20 billion U.S. dollars.
Compared to its neighboring areas within Maharasthra, Vidarbha contains relatively low numbers of registered factories. For example, Vidarbha has an average of 367 registered factories per district, as compared to about 1,480 in other parts of the Maharasthra. Still, Vidarbha’s manufacturing centers for cotton and yarn fabrics are said to be some of the best in the region. There are two spinning and weaving mills in Nagpur city. The district has a total of twenty-three ginning factories. Most of these factories have been built in the last decade, however, some date back to the nineteenth century.