Anand is the administrative centre of Anand District in the state of Gujarat, India. It is administered by Anand Municipality. It is part of the region known as Charotar, consisting of Anand and Kheda Districts.
Anand is known as the Milk Capital of India. It became famous for Amul dairy and its milk revolution. This city hosts the Head Office of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (AMUL), National Dairy Development Board of India,well known business school-IRMA and the Anand Agricultural University. Also other famous educational hub is Vallabh Vidhyanagar, an educational suburb of Anand which is home for around 10,000 students from all over the India.
Anand lies between Ahmedabad and Vadodara on the Western Railways, 101 km from the state capital Gandhinagar. It is a railway Junction and a broad gauge line from here runs to Godhra, covering Dakor, a major Hindu pilgrimage en route. MEMUs and one or two regular passenger trains ply on this route . It also has a branch line to Khambhat. DMUs Diesel Multiple Units ply on this route as it is not electrified yet. Anand Railway Station has 5 platforms, number 1,2,3 and 4 are on the main line and number 5 is on the branch line to Godhra. A new platform is in construction on the branch to Ahmedabad from the Godhra line forming a triangle. The National express highway from Ahmedabad to Vadodara also passes through Anand.
Anand has seen rapid economic growth along the Anand-Vallabh Vidya Nagar and Karamsad road belt. It is well on track to become a Municipal Corporation with the inclusion of various peripheral villages like Karamsad, Chikhodra, Lambhvel, V. V Nagar, Bakrol, Mogri and 20 others, however the major part of the town still lacks drainage system.
