KANDLA

town, northwestern Gujarat state, west-central India, a port on the Gulf of Kutch of the Arabian Sea. The port was opened on Kandla's natural deepwater harbour in the 1930s. Designed to serve a hinterland that is considerably larger than Gujarat state, the town has continued to be improved. Petroleum, iron and steel machinery, and chemicals are Kandla's major imports; the port also handles grains, textiles, and salt. Kandla is served by a major highway, a railway, and an airport. Pop. (1981) 23,978.