Across the landscape of Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, economic development has often concentrated around Nagpur, Amravati, and Chandrapur.

Yet beneath these urban centres lie smaller cities that are gradually shaping new industrial and agricultural frontiers. These towns, often categorised as third-tier cities, demonstrate a distinct ability to absorb investment, generate employment, and link rural economies with expanding markets.

Their evolution is rooted in established industries that have quietly sustained local livelihoods for decades while new sectors begin to emerge around logistics, processing, and resource-based manufacturing. The following cities highlight how Vidarbha’s economic geography changes through diversification and local enterprise.

1. Hinganghat: Textile Manufacturing and Emerging Industrial Linkages

Hinganghat in Wardha district has long been a recognised name in Maharashtra’s textile history. The town’s first spinning mill began operations in 1881, marking it as one of the earliest cotton-processing centres in central India. Even today, Hinganghat remains home to integrated textile facilities that handle ginning, spinning, weaving, and processing of cotton. Gimatex Industries operates a major plant in this area, contributing to the town’s status as a regional textile hub.

The location’s industrial character is strengthened by its position on the New Delhi to Chennai railway corridor, allowing direct freight connectivity for raw materials and finished fabric movement. While Hinganghat is not located directly on the Samruddhi Mahamarg, its proximity to the expressway through Wardha district provides critical access to major logistics routes. These infrastructural linkages are helping the area attract small-scale manufacturers who depend on dependable transport networks.

Wardha district authorities have identified Hinganghat for potential cluster-based industrial expansion in cotton-related sectors, highlighting its continuing relevance in Vidarbha’s economic story.

2. Gondia: Agro-Processing and Transport Connectivity

Gondia, located near Maharashtra’s eastern boundary, has earned the title of “Rice City” due to its dense concentration of rice mills and paddy-processing units. The district features an officially recognised rice-processing cluster in Sadak Arjuni, catering to both domestic and export markets. This agricultural strength is complemented by strategic connectivity: Gondia Junction serves as a major node on the Howrah–Nagpur–Mumbai rail corridor and connects to multiple branch lines extending toward Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. The region’s highway network, including NH-753 and NH-543, links Gondia to central and eastern India, making it a natural site for logistics-based enterprises. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has cleared several upgrades in these corridors under the Bharatmala and PM Gati Shakti initiatives.

The ongoing construction of the fourth railway line between Gondia and Dongargarh further strengthens its transport credentials. The government’s One District One Product scheme lists rice as Gondia’s key product, opening opportunities for quality standardisation and brand development. The combination of agricultural specialisation and multi-modal connectivity places Gondia in an advantageous position to serve as Vidarbha’s major agro-logistics centre.

3. Warud: Citrus Capital and Agro-Based Enterprise

Warud in Amravati district stands as the focal point of Maharashtra’s famous Nagpur orange belt, which extends across the Satpura foothills into Morshi and adjoining tehsils. The region’s climate and black soil have supported large-scale cultivation of citrus fruits for decades, forming the foundation of its rural economy. The Nagpur orange holds a Geographical Indication tag, reinforcing the district’s reputation in national and international fruit markets. The Maharashtra government has sanctioned orange-processing and packaging projects in Warud and Morshi, aiming to modernise fruit handling through cold storage, grading, and packing facilities. In recent years, a digital orange trading platform was introduced at the Warud Agricultural Produce Market Committee to improve transparency and pricing for farmers.

Reports from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority confirm that shipments of Nagpur oranges have reached the Middle East and South Asian markets, supported by improved logistics from Nagpur airport. Warud’s concentration of horticultural activity represents a significant share of Vidarbha’s agro-export potential, offering a stable income stream for thousands of small growers and labourers.

4. Ballarpur: Industrial Heritage and Materials Transition

Ballarpur in Chandrapur district is closely associated with the history of India’s paper industry. Ballarpur Industries Limited established one of the country’s earliest paper mills here, making use of the district’s forest resources and water availability along the Wardha River. The presence of this industrial base helped generate a skilled workforce familiar with mechanical, electrical, and chemical processes associated with large-scale manufacturing. The town is connected to Balharshah Junction, a critical stop on the New Delhi to Chennai railway route, giving it ready access to national freight lines.

The broader Chandrapur-Gadchiroli region is rich in bamboo and forest-based raw materials that once fuelled the paper industry’s operations. Although industrial restructuring and environmental policies have changed production volumes, the town retains the infrastructure necessary for paper conversion and packaging manufacturing.

With a concentration of utility connections and industrial land, Ballarpur continues to play a role in Vidarbha’s industrial landscape, linking older resource-based sectors to newer packaging and materials industries emerging in the wider Chandrapur area.