Jowar and cotton are the main produce of the district. Cotton and teakwood are the chief exports of the district. Other items exported include lime, wooden furniture and oranges.

Cotton-ginning and pressing are carried on. The town is also the chief trading centre in the district, and is connected by road with Dhamangaon station, which is 29 miles from this town. It is also known as cotton city. During the time of British rule, it was considered to be a hill station.

A narrow gauge railway called the Shakuntala Express has passed through since the British era, now running on diesel rather than the original coal.

Major business establishment in Yavatmal includes the Raymonds factory which produces the Jeans Fiber. It is 100% export unit from Raymonds, which is a famous cloths brand.

Other local businesses in town are dominated by presence of agricultural supply facilities which are very useful for the nearby farmer community.

New generation is being modern slowly and there are number of computer learning centers, educational institutes.