The largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh is Visakhapatnam, which is also known as Vizag, Vikha, or Waltair. It is situated between the coast of the Bay of Bengal and the Eastern Ghats. It is the fourth-largest city in South India and the second-largest on the east coast of India, after Chennai. It is the district's headquarters and one of the four smart cities chosen by Andhra Pradesh as part of the Smart Cities Mission. As of 2016, it was the ninth largest contributor to India's GDP, contributing an estimated $43.5 billion in output. The history of Visakhapatnam goes back to the 6th century BCE, when it was thought to be part of the Kalinga Kingdom. Later, the Vengi, Pallava, and Eastern Ganga dynasties ruled there. Ancient Visakhapatnam was a port city that traded with Rome and the Middle East. Small Masula boats were used to transport cargo from Visakhapatnam's shore to ships that were anchored on open roads. The inscriptions of the Sri Bheemeswara Swamy temple (1068 CE), located in the East Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh, contain a mention of a Vizagapatam merchant. Vizagapatam was a guild-run fortified merchandize town in the 12th century CE. In the 11th and 12th centuries, the city was under the control of the Gajapati Kingdom and the Chola dynasty until it was taken over by the Vijayanagara Empire in the 15th century. The coastal region of North Andhra, including Visakhapatnam, was annexed by the Jeypore Kingdom in the 16th century, following the decline of the Vijayanagara empire and the Gajapatis. This area remained a part of the Jeypore Kingdom until the arrival of the British in 1711. Evidently, prior to the 1947 dissolution of the princely state, the Maharaja of Jeypore was referred to as the Maharaja of Visakhapatnam. The city eventually saw the establishment of trade operations by European powers, and by the end of the 18th century, it was under French colonial control. In 1804, the East India Company took control, and British colonial rule continued there until Indian independence in 1947. Andhra University (AU), Andhra Medical College (AMC), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE), Damodaram Sanjivayya National Law University (DSNLU), Indian Maritime University (IMU), and the National Institute of Oceanography, among others, are among the state's well-known Central and State educational institutions located in the city. The Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy has its headquarters in Visakhapatnam. Additionally, the city is the South Coast Railway Zone (SCoR) zonal headquarters. In addition, the city is home to India's oldest shipyard and the only natural harbour on India's east coast. India's Visakhapatnam Port ranks fifth in terms of cargo traffic. The beaches, ancient Buddhist sites, and natural surroundings of the Eastern Ghats that surround the city make it a popular tourist destination. It is referred to as the "Jewel of the East Coast" and the "City of Destiny." It is the ninth cleanest city in India among cities with a population of more than one million, according to the Swachh Survekshan rankings for 2020. It was a World Smart City Award finalist in the Living and Inclusion category in 2020. Find and hire a top agency or company for your next big project related to Digital Marketing, Advertising, Social Media Marketing, Content Writing, Market Research, PR, Email Marketing, Mobile App Development, Web Design, Web application development, Media Planning and many more in India and other countries on AgencyNetwork.