Ichalkaranji is a City in Kolhapur district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is governed by amunicipal council.
Ichalkaranji is in western India about 425 kilometers (264 mi) from Mumbai. The City is rapidly growing and now merging with neighboring Jaysingpur town to form a large satellite suburban township with Sangli city which is just 24 kilometers (15 mi) away.
The city of Ichalkaranji assumes a place amongst the cities having highest per capita income in the country. Ichalkaranji was aMaratha Princely state situated on the banks of Panchganga River (Marathi: पंचगंगा नदी). It was ruled by the Ghorpade dynasty for the last two centuries. The chief of state, His Highness Shrimant Narayanrao Babasaheb Ghorpade, who was responsible for developing the Ichalkaranji village Into an Important Industrial town and who contributed liberal donations to educational Institutions throughout the country. He was the main source of inspiration for the development of both the decentralized textile industry as well as the co-operative movement. He encouraged Mr. Vitthalrao Datar, a young entrepreneur of the town, to install a power loom in 1904. Perhaps this was the first power loom started in the decentralized textile industry of the country. Thus, Ichalkaranji has given a new concepts and dimensions to the textile field of India.
The foresighted ruler gave a royal patronage by extending financial assistance as well as free land to the desires weavers and other enterprising entrepreneurs.He deliberately invited lot of marwari ( Rajsthani ) businessman to Ichalakranji & start business. During his visit to Denmark and other western countries, the Chief had an access to the co-operative sector of these countries and he was very much impressed with the success of the Co-operative sector of these countries and on his return to India, he vowed to exercise this movement for the benefit of his only
