Introduction
Puducherry, a union territory (UT) of India, is bounded on the East by the Bay of Bengal and on the remaining three sides by Tamil Nadu.
The UT comprises Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam, wherein Karaikal lies about 130 km south of Puducherry on the East Coast and Mahe is situated on the Malabar Coast on the Western Ghats surrounded by Kerala. Yanam is situated adjoining the East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.
The Union Territory being ranked second among all Union Territories with a composite score of 74 in the SDG India Index 2023-24, surpassing the previous score of 68 released in 2020-21. Puducherry has been classified as "Achiever" in 'Affordable and Clean Energy’; "Tops First" in the goal of 'Zero Hunger', 'Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure', and 'Reduced Inequalities' compared with the other Union Territories
Puducherry has the highest SPI score of 65.99 in the country, attributable to its remarkable performance across components like Personal Freedom and Choice, Shelter, and Water and Sanitation.
As of March 2025, Puducherry had a total installed power generation capacity of 432.16 MW, of which 140.80 MW was under central utilities, 0.00 MW was under state utilities and 0.00 MW was under the private sector. Of the total installed power generation capacity, 291.65 MW was contributed by thermal and 51.74 MW by renewable energy.
In 2024-25, the tertiary sector contributed 51.03% to the state’s gross state value added (GSVA) at current prices, followed by secondary (42.35%) and primary (6.63%) sectors.
The UT has a well-developed social, physical, and industrial infrastructure. It has a domestic airport that connects it to cities such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Vijayawada. It also two ports in Puducherry and Karaikal.
Recent Developments
- Under the scheme "Prime Minister Surya Ghar Mufti Bijili Yojana", residential Roof Top solar programme, Roof Top Solar plants with a net capacity of 1.88 MW was installed for 493 Domestic Consumers and subsidy to the tune of 3.01 crore released during 2024-25
- As per LG Speech 2025; Launched by Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi, Ayushman Bharat Vaya Vandana Scheme, Under this scheme 7,600 beneficiaries have got registered in the Union Territory of Puducherry.
- Under Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) scheme, Rs. 25.94 crore (US$ 3 million) has been sanctioned for the project 'Development of Tourist facilities and attractions at Sri Dharbaranyeswarar Swamy Temple and Spiritual Park at Thirunallar.
- In October 2023, Southern Railway and the Highways Department of Puducherry would execute the two-lane Road Over Bridge under 50:50 cost sharing basis. The total project cost is estimated at Rs. 70 crore (US$ 8.40 million).
- The airport handled 34,190 passengers in FY25 (April to March 2025).
- In April 2023, Adani Ports completed the acquisition of Karaikal Port.
- As of September 2024, Puducherry had 1.12 million wireless and 0.07 wireline subscribers.
- The Ministry of Education has announced "Swach Vidyalaya Puraskar Award" in which Union Territory of Puducherry had won 6 Awards and stood at second place.
- There are nine industrial estates in Puducherry with 9,449 registered units. In 2020-21, there are 9,181 small-scale industries, 191 medium-scale industries and 77 large-scale industries. There are also 2 sugar factories and 8 textile mills in Puducherry.
- In 2022, Puducherry witnessed arrivals of 17.6 lakh domestic tourists.
- Number of domestic tourists in the state has increased by 40.48% in 2022 compared to last year while the number of foreign tourist has increased by 168.54% in the same period as per ministry of tourism data.
- The marine fish and prawn catch production (in 2022) was estimated at 1,59,82 MT, whereas inland fish catch was estimated at 1,497.40 MT.
- It has a fishermen population of about 1,09,417 of which 28,767 fishermen are actively engaged in fishing from 38 marine fishing villages and 12 inland fishing villages/hamlets in 2021.
- In February 2023, the first ever container feeder service (cargo vessel service) was flagged off from the Chennai port to Puducherry port.
- In January 2023, the Department of Revenue and Disaster Management of the Government of Puducherry issued a work order to RailTel. The estimated cost is around Rs. 170.11 crore (US$ 20.41 million).
- Acquisition of Lands at 37 – Vanjore Revenue Village of Karaikal District for the public purpose of “Formation of Pipeline corridor at Vanjore Revenue Village for 9 MMTPA of New Refinery Unit at Panangudi by CPCL, Nagapattinam.
- In February 2021, Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi inaugurated the Blood Centre at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, and dedicated a 100-bed hostel to women athletes in Lawspet, Puducherry. In addition, he inaugurated the reconstructed Heritage Marie Building.
- In February 2021, the Ministry of MSME announced that it is establishing an expertise centre in Puducherry to promote, support and foster growth of indigenous MSMEs and start-ups in the state.
Key Sectors
- As per the LG Speech 2025:
- A Rs. 750 crore (US$ 87.87 million) project to repair, renovate, and restore 78 tanks in Puducherry has been formulated, aiming to enhance surface water storage and groundwater potential, and will be submitted to the Ministry of Jal Shakti for 90% central grant under the RRR scheme.
- The Minimum Support Price for paddy increased from Rs. 1,868 (US$ 21.92) per quintal in 2020-21 to Rs. 2,300 (US$ 26.99) per quintal in 2024-25, while the net sown area and gross-cropped area in Puducherry also grew steadily during this period.
- For 2025-26, the Government of India has allocated Rs. 15.82 crore (US$ 1.85 million) to Puducherry under Centrally Sponsored Schemes, including the National Mission on Natural Farming (NMNF).
- Under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM), Rs. 7.24 crore (US$ 869,361.45) was utilized since 2021-22 to benefit 440 farmers with various machineries, and Rs. 4.65 crore interventions are planned for this year.
- Agriculture is one of the most important occupations for the people of Puducherry. About 45% of the total population depends directly or indirectly on farming. The main crop of this territory is paddy. The UT is one of the largest producers of bananas, flowers, tapioca, coconut, groundnut, and sugarcane.
- Puducherry is an attractive tourist destination with beaches, French architecture, churches, and temples. Domestic tourists arrived from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kerala, Chennai, Odisha, and West Bengal. The UT also has an occupancy capacity of 5,000 rooms in Puducherry as of 2018.
- Puducherry has a 45-km coastline, with 26 landing centres and 1,000 sq. km. of continental shelves (with potential for marine fisheries). The UT also has fresh-water area in the form of ponds and tanks suitable for both capture and culture fishery.
- As per the LG Speech 2025:
- The Department of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare, Puducherry, held a Joint Working Group meeting with Central Fisheries Institutions to formulate a policy promoting deep sea fishing, focusing on the Andaman Sea. The initiative aims to identify potential fish landing zones using satellite technology, encourage sustainable fishing practices, and explore value-added processing and export opportunities.
- The CMFRI has identified 15 potential sites in Puducherry and 10 in Karaikal for seaweed farming, with a proposal to integrate sea-cage farming and seaweed culture, aiming to empower fisherwomen in both regions.
FACTFILE
Capital
NAGeographical Area (sq km)
490State Language
Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, French and HindiLiteracy Rate
85.85 per centAdministrative Districts
1Key Industries:
Agriculture
Marine products
Hospitality
Tourism
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