The distribution of industrial workers in the state of Andhra Pradesh is very clustered. In an overall under-industrialised state, several pockets of high densities gives a very contrasted aspect to this map. We can distinguish three unequal zones of industrial concentration: the North-West, the North-East coast and Tirupati-Nandyal stretch.

The North-West is in fact made up of three clearly identifiable regions: the stretch west of Nizamabad, the corridor north of Ramnagudam extending up to Asifabad and the horizontal belt including Hyderabad. These regions, as generally the rest of Andhra Pradesh, are involved in the food industry and, when the resources are locally available, in the industries linked to ore (coal and iron are found in the Alibad district). The Hyderabad region appears less industrialised, partly due to the fact that the services are highly developed there, but more diversified. Two particularities are worth noting: the specialisation in the manufacturing of fans in the Rangareddy district and the importance of the IDPL group (Indian Drugs and Pharmaceutical Ltd) which has attracted further pharmaceutical companies in this region.
The North-East coast appears to be linked more closely to the agricultural activities surrounding it and therefore the food industry is most prominent, such as along the Cauvery delta in Tamil Nadu. Nonetheless, and this is all the more true the closer you get to Vishakapatanm, the heavy industries, centred around the extraction and transformation of ore, play an important role.
The Tirupathi-Nandyal corridor is set between two mountains which has led the population to settle in the valley and has contributed to the development of an industry based on the exploitation of natural resources.

Overall, the capacities and potentials of industrialisation in Andhra Pradesh are relatively weak which explains why the current Chief Minister has decided to play the card of the new technologies in order to bring this Andhra Pradesh from a proto-industrial state directly into the post-industrial era. This was a risky but worthwhile venture.

S.O.