Mandvi is a beach town and municipality located in the Kachchh district of Kutch, within the Indian state of Gujarat. Historically, it served as a major port for the region and functioned as a summer retreat for the Maharao, or king, of the Cutch State. The old city was originally enclosed by the Mandvi Fort wall, portions of which remain visible today.
The town is notable for its 400-year-old shipbuilding industry, which remains active to this day with the continued construction of dhows, a type of wooden ship. This maritime expertise facilitated extensive trade links between the Gujarat coast and East Africa. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, merchants from Mandvi, specifically members of the Kutchi Bhatia community, played a significant role in anchoring Zanzibar's economy by providing credit for clove plantations and financing caravan trade.