The pre-wedding festivities of Anant Ambani, the youngest son of India’s wealthiest person Mukesh Ambani, have put the Indian town of Jamnagar on the global map. Known for being home to oil refineries, petrochemicals, and manufacturing, the region also has a rich historical and cultural significance. With its real estate sector experiencing a rapid surge over the last few years and the city creating several employment opportunities thanks to the number of industries it houses, Business Frontier takes a look at some interesting facts about Jamnagar.
- The industrial city was established in the 1540s in the Western Indian state of Gujarat. Located in the Jamnagar district, it was founded by Maharaja Kumar Shri Ranjitsingh ji in the 1920s and known as Nawanagar at that time.
- With an annual capacity of 68.2 million tonnes, Reliance has the world’s largest single location oil refining plant in Jamnagar. The company aims to reach net zero carbon status by 2035.
- The world’s largest crude oil refinery is also located in Jamnagar and has the capacity to refine around 1.24 million barrels of crude oil per day. Due to its oil refineries, the city is also known as the ‘Oil City of India’.
- Earlier known as the ‘Brass City’, the real estate landscape of Jamnagar is also home to about 5000 large-scale and 10,000 small-scale businesses that produce brassware in the industrial zones.
- In addition to its industrial significance, Jamnagar has several tourist attractions including sprawling parks, sanctuaries, palaces, and temples. Among the famous sites are the Lakhota Fort and the Bala Hanuman Temple and Marine National Park. The coastal city also has numerous beaches and islands.
- Known as the Green Belt of Gujarat, Jamnagar is also the largest producer of mangoes in India with Reliance Industries growing 127 types of mango on a 600-acre green belt near its refinery complex along with Essar Group and Sanghi Industries.
- Jamnagar will soon be home to the world’s largest zoo and rehabilitation facility as Anant Ambani recently announced the start of his ambitious wildlife preservation project – Vantara, which is spread across 3,000 acres in Reliance’s Jamnagar Refinery Complex. In addition to academic institutions, healthcare facilities and research centres, the centre will also feature a world-class elephant rescue centre.
- Jamnagar has a Special Economic Zone consisting of several industrial complexes and infrastructure projects, which are contributing significantly to the region and the nation’s economic development.
