Long duration of hot and dry conditions is the reason behindGujarat being the leading producer of salt in India. The state of Gujarat accounts for 77% of the salt produced in the country. Saltproduction centres traditionally develop in areas with the followingconditions: 1. Obviously, proximity to sea. 2. Year-round sunshine. 3. A gentle continental shelf so that the salt piles are safe from the open sea. This protects the extracted saltfrom sudden disturbance in the sea. 4. An open coastal plain to heap the extracted salt and dry it.