Nilam

Jalaunजालौन

16.9 lakh people. Larger than Bahrain, Estonia, or Mauritius. Governed as one cell of one state.

Population
16,89,974 (16.9 lakh)
Area
4,565 km²
Headquarters
Orai
ODOP: Handmade Paper ArtGIODOP: Peas Processing
Handmade paperPea processingPulses & oilseeds

₹3,476 cr

of bankable business potential identified by the government in Jalaun.

Source: NABARD PLP 2023-24

Opportunities

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Bundelkhand pea freezing and dal milling unit

Unverified

Jalaun grows Bundelkhand pulses and is a noted pea (matar) belt, yet green peas glut at harvest and sell cheap. A freezing and dehydration unit plus dal milling converts that surplus into year-round frozen-pea and packaged-dal SKUs.

Capex
₹12–25 lakh
Payback
2.5 years payback
Risk
Moderate
PMFMETourism-Subsidy

NABARD's plan for Jalaun · PLP 2023-24

₹3,476 crof bankable credit potential identified by the government

Crop production, maintenance & marketing

₹1,671 cr

MSME

₹627 cr

Term loans for agriculture & allied activities

₹507 cr

Housing

₹306 cr

Jalaun's 2023-24 credit plan sizes total priority-sector lending at about ₹3,476 crore, and roughly two-thirds of that (₹2,274 crore, ~65%) is farming and allied work; small business (MSME) is the next big block at ₹627 crore, followed by housing at ₹306 crore.

The biggest single opportunity is crop loans at ₹1,671 crore — this is Bundelkhand grain and pulse country (wheat, gram, urad, moong, til, arhar) and the district is famous nationwide for its green peas. On the animal side, dairy is the standout at ₹271 crore, with poultry (₹31 cr) and sheep/goat/pig (₹28 cr) alongside; equipment loans (farm mechanisation) add another ₹95 crore and irrigation/water works ₹57 crore. Food and agro-processing is wide open at ₹17 crore because the district currently has no flour, dal, oil or spice processing units. On the non-farm side, MSME demand (₹627 crore) is expected to run through the state's ODOP scheme, Mudra and Stand-Up India.

The plan is candid about what holds Jalaun back: patchy power supply, bad rural roads and no large industry; a low credit-deposit ratio (~51%) and poor loan recovery; falling groundwater in several blocks; and APMC/mandi rules that block free sale of produce. It asks for an amended APMC Act, cheaper mandi fees, check dams, watershed units and stronger bank monitoring.

See the plan's recommendations

What the plan promotes

  • Crop production dominates the plan at ₹1671.00cr — the district grows wheat, gram (chana), urad, moong, til, arhar and masur, and is famous across India for green peas (hari matar).
  • Dairy is the single biggest term-loan line at ₹271.22cr, reflecting large cattle and buffalo herds; livestock development through KCC for animal husbandry is a stated thrust area.
  • Farm mechanisation potential of ₹95.17cr and water-resources/irrigation of ₹56.60cr; net sown area is 344,623 ha with 269,530 ha irrigated (Betwa, Yamuna, Pahuj, Dhasan rivers).
  • MSME lending pegged at ₹627.00cr, driven by the UP government's ODOP scheme, Mudra and Stand-Up India, since the district has no large industrial unit.
  • Poultry (₹31.31cr) and sheep-goat-pig rearing (₹27.53cr) flagged for mother units and better breeds; fisheries ₹5.64cr with hatchery projects proposed under RIDF.
  • Food & agro-processing opportunity of ₹16.58cr — no processing units currently exist for flour/dal/oil/spices, so the whole value chain is open.

Gaps the plan names

  • Shortage of electricity, poor rural roads and lack of any large industrial unit hold back small-industry setup and dampen local entrepreneurship.
  • Inadequate availability of quality inputs — improved seed, fertiliser, irrigation management, veterinary services, grain storage and technical training.
  • Low and unsatisfactory credit-deposit ratio (about 51% as on 31.03.2022) and weak loan recovery; no small finance bank operates in the district.
  • APMC Act restrictions and mandi fees hinder free movement of farm produce; the PLP recommends amending the APMC Act and exempting/reducing mandi charges.
  • Falling groundwater in several blocks; need to build check dams and watershed units to raise water tables.

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.

Handmade paper: raw sheets → branded stationery & gifting

Unverified
Raw 80%Processed 20%

Jalaun's handmade-paper cluster (Kalpi) sells plain sheets and reams in bulk to traders at near-commodity rates. Converted into branded eco-stationery, journals, wedding invitations and gift packaging, the same paper fetches a large multiple per sheet and taps the premium sustainable-stationery market. A design-led brand and conversion unit would keep finishing value in the district instead of exporting raw sheets.

Growth signal

Demand for eco-friendly handmade paper and sustainable stationery is rising as buyers shift away from plastic packaging.

Peas: raw green/dry → frozen & dehydrated retail

Unverified
Raw 85%Processed 15%

Jalaun is an ODOP pea-processing district, yet much of its matar still moves as raw green or loose dry peas at mandi prices. Cleaned, graded and IQF-frozen or dehydrated peas in branded retail packs command several times the raw farm-gate price and reach urban supermarkets and the HoReCa trade year-round. A local freezing-and-packing unit captures the margin that traders and city processors take today.

Growth signal

India's frozen-vegetable retail market is growing at a double-digit CAGR on rising cold-chain and modern-retail penetration.

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.

Agriculture & natural resources

1 fact

Industrial clusters

2 facts

About Jalaun

Jalaun district is a district of Uttar Pradesh, India. The district is named after the town of Jalaun, which was the former headquarters of a Maratha governor, but the administrative headquarters of the district is at Orai.

Source: Wikipedia — Jalaun district

Uttar Pradesh

Jalaun

See Jalaun elsewhere

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