Yavatmal town is also known as "Cotton City" and during British rule was classified as a hill station. Both cotton-ginning and pressing are carried on in Yavatmal while the town is also the chief trading centre in the district, and connected by road with Dhamangaon station, 29 miles (47 km) away. Major business establishments in Yavatmal include the Raymonds factory which produces special fibre for jeans. There is a brand new 106-acre (0.43 km) textile Special Economic Zone (SEZ) under construction while HLL Unilever has also decided to restart the plant they currently have in the city. Yavatmal's younger generation is slowly joining the 21st century workforce and there are a number of computer learning centres and educational institutes. Other local businesses in the town are dominated by the presence of agricultural supply facilities used by the nearby farming community. Banking services are available in the Yavatmal, Pusad, Digras, Ghatanji and Pandharkawada and Wani areas.
The major industrial centres are at MIDC Lohara, Darwha, Digras, Pusad, Umerkhed, Wani, Umari, Pandharkawada, Ralegaon and Babhulgaon, Ner, and Wani-Maregaon with the main market places in Yavatmal City, Wani, Darwha, Digras, Akola Bazar, Ghatanji, Mohada, Pusad, Umerkhed and Pandharkawada
