Trade

Ponnani is one of the oldest port  in Kerala and has contributed to the trade and economy of Malabar from very early times. This port was used as a hub for trading with Arabs and Europeans.

Ponnani was considered as the second capital of Malabar. Trikavu in Ponnani was one among the seats of the Zamorin, from where he controlled the trade and commerce.

The economy of the this town is predominantly based on agriculture and marine products.

A Central government port customs office is also functions  in Ponnani.  

12.   Co-operative Agricu

Agriculture

The major source of income for the people are agriculure and fishing. Rice, coconut, aricanut are the main cultivation. Ponnani is famous for it's fishing harbour and houses the  office of the District fisheries board. There is a light house in Ponnani under the control of Government of India, which highlights the importance of fishing in this area.

Industry

In the early days,  Ponnani was a notable place for the manufacture of big wooden boats ('Uru' or 'Pathemari').  Though this place is industrially backward, some traditional industries based on coir and coir products, marine products, etc are dominating from the very early times . Kerala State Detergents and chemicals Ltd., (KSDC)  in Kuttippuram is a main  Government undertaking industrial establishment  in this region

 Banking

The  banks in Ponnani include:

1.    State Bank of Travancore (SBT).

2.    Canara Bank.

3.    Vijaya Bank.

4.    Federal Bank.

5.    South Indian Bank.

6.    Punjab National Bank (PNB).

7.    Dhanalakshmi Bank.

8.    South Malabar Gramin Bank.

9.    Malappuram District Co-operative Bank.

10.  Ponnani Service Co-operative Bank.

11.   Ponnani Urban Bank.