Darbhangaदरभंगा
39.4 lakh people. Larger than Mongolia, Qatar, or Jamaica. Governed as one cell of one state.
- Population
- 39,37,385 (39.4 lakh)
- Area
- 2,279 km²
- Headquarters
- Darbhanga
₹5,235 cr
of bankable business potential identified by the government in Darbhanga.
Source: NABARD PLP 2023-24
Opportunities
What you can build here
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NABARD's plan for Darbhanga · PLP 2023-24
₹5,235 crof bankable credit potential identified by the government
MSME (Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises)
₹2,884 cr
Crop production, maintenance & marketing
₹941 cr
Term loans for agriculture & allied activities
₹618 cr
Ancillary activities (incl. food & agro processing)
₹183 cr
Darbhanga's 2023-24 credit plan sizes the district's bankable opportunity at about ₹5,235 crore, up nearly 48% on the year before. The split is telling: farming and allied work make up ₹1,907 crore (~36%) while small and medium enterprises (MSME) are the single biggest block at ₹2,884 crore (~40%) — split into ₹2,168 crore of term loans and ₹716 crore of working capital.
On the farm side, ordinary crop loans for paddy, wheat, maize, pulses and mustard lead at ₹941 crore. The plan then backs three clear clusters: dairy (₹147 crore), farm machinery like power tillers and threshers (₹131 crore), and irrigation including solar pumps (₹119 crore). Darbhanga is a leading producer of mango and makhana (fox-nut), and the plan flags large scope for makhana processing units and cold storage (₹133 crore of storage infrastructure). For non-farm income, Mithila (Madhubani) painting, sikki and sujni crafts are highlighted, especially for rural women, and NABARD has set up 5 FPOs covering goat rearing, makhana and grain milling.
The PLP is blunt about what holds the district back: too few warehouses, cold stores and processing units; land records still not computerised; patchy power supply; and a very low credit-to-deposit ratio of about 40%, meaning banks lend far less than they take in as deposits. Closing the storage and financing gaps is where the clearest openings sit for a new entrepreneur.
What the plan promotes
- NABARD has promoted 5 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in Darbhanga working on goat rearing, makhana, chana sattu & besan, wheat and paddy productivity, marketing and seed production; one FPO received a Mobile Rural Mart launched by CM Shri Nitish Kumar
- Two thrust sectors identified under area-based schemes: 'Dairy Development' and 'Goat Rearing', with animal husbandry (dairy 147.26 cr, poultry 70.75 cr) emerging as a popular activity
- Makhana (fox-nut) cultivation and processing is a flagship activity; Darbhanga is a leading producer/supplier of mango and makhana, with large scope for makhana processing units
- Storage and cold-storage gap is a priority: only 37 food processing units and 42 godowns (2200 MT) with just 2 cold stores (10400 MT), driving 132.95 cr of proposed storage infrastructure under Agri Infrastructure Fund
- Farm mechanisation credit (130.74 cr) has grown strongly, with power tillers, threshers and zero-till machines financed under subsidy schemes for small and marginal farmers (about 66% of farmers)
- Non-farm handicraft cluster: Mithila (Madhubani) painting, sikki and sujni crafts are significant livelihood sources for rural women, supported under MSME
Gaps the plan names
- Severe shortage of warehouses, cold storage and processing units across the district; various product volumes justify expanding these units, but government schemes need wider farmer awareness by agriculture and horticulture departments
- Central government storage (godown) fund is under-utilised for wheat, paddy and makhana; adequate storage is not available, limiting value retention
- Computerisation of land records and expansion of extension services are pending government actions flagged as constraints
- Ensuring reliable electricity supply to farmers and entrepreneurs remains a key constraint to enterprise growth
- Low banking penetration and a very low CD ratio (39.99% at March 2022); banks need to cover all eligible farmers via KCC and finance JLGs/SHGs/FPOs to meet full credit needs
See the plan's recommendations
What the plan promotes
- NABARD has promoted 5 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) in Darbhanga working on goat rearing, makhana, chana sattu & besan, wheat and paddy productivity, marketing and seed production; one FPO received a Mobile Rural Mart launched by CM Shri Nitish Kumar
- Two thrust sectors identified under area-based schemes: 'Dairy Development' and 'Goat Rearing', with animal husbandry (dairy 147.26 cr, poultry 70.75 cr) emerging as a popular activity
- Makhana (fox-nut) cultivation and processing is a flagship activity; Darbhanga is a leading producer/supplier of mango and makhana, with large scope for makhana processing units
- Storage and cold-storage gap is a priority: only 37 food processing units and 42 godowns (2200 MT) with just 2 cold stores (10400 MT), driving 132.95 cr of proposed storage infrastructure under Agri Infrastructure Fund
- Farm mechanisation credit (130.74 cr) has grown strongly, with power tillers, threshers and zero-till machines financed under subsidy schemes for small and marginal farmers (about 66% of farmers)
- Non-farm handicraft cluster: Mithila (Madhubani) painting, sikki and sujni crafts are significant livelihood sources for rural women, supported under MSME
Gaps the plan names
- Severe shortage of warehouses, cold storage and processing units across the district; various product volumes justify expanding these units, but government schemes need wider farmer awareness by agriculture and horticulture departments
- Central government storage (godown) fund is under-utilised for wheat, paddy and makhana; adequate storage is not available, limiting value retention
- Computerisation of land records and expansion of extension services are pending government actions flagged as constraints
- Ensuring reliable electricity supply to farmers and entrepreneurs remains a key constraint to enterprise growth
- Low banking penetration and a very low CD ratio (39.99% at March 2022); banks need to cover all eligible farmers via KCC and finance JLGs/SHGs/FPOs to meet full credit needs
Value-chain gaps
Money this district loses today
Raw output sold cheap, value added elsewhere — each gap below is an opening for a local business.
Resources
What this district has
Tap a category to see the facts and figures underneath. Numbers marked unverified are AI-extracted and need a sourcing pass.
About Darbhanga
Darbhanga district is one of the thirty-eight districts of the eastern Indian state of Bihar. The city of Darbhanga is the administrative headquarters of this district and 5th largest city of Bihar as well. Darbhanga district lies in the Darbhanga division, within the historical Mithila region. The district is bounded on the north by Madhubani district, on the south by Samastipur district, on the east by Saharsa district and on the west by Sitamarhi and Muzaffarpur districts. The district covers an area of 2,279 km2 (880 sq mi). There are several locations related to the epic Ramayana. The Ahalya Sthan, Gautam Ashram and Gautam Kund are major destinations for the Ramayana circuit in the district.
Source: Wikipedia — Darbhanga district
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