Howrahহাওড়া
48.5 lakh people. Larger than Oman, Kuwait, or Mongolia. Governed as one cell of one state.
- Population
- 48,50,029 (48.5 lakh)
- Area
- 1,467 km²
- Headquarters
- Howrah
₹13,638 cr
of bankable business potential identified by the government in Howrah.
Source: NABARD PLP 2023-24
Opportunities
What you can build here
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NABARD's plan for Howrah · PLP 2023-24
₹13,638 crof bankable credit potential identified by the government
Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME)
₹9,977 cr
Crop production, maintenance & marketing (crop loan)
₹1,488 cr
Term loans for agriculture & allied activities
₹1,018 cr
Informal credit delivery system (SHG/JLG micro credit)
₹542 cr
Howrah's 2023-24 credit plan sizes up ₹13,638 crore of priority-sector lending potential. Farming and allied activities make up only about 18% (₹2,506 crore) of that, while MSME lending dominates at ₹9,977 crore (73%) — the main reason this year's plan is roughly 18% bigger than last year's.
On the farm side, the biggest single line is the crop loan (₹1,488 crore) for paddy (the main kharif crop), potato and pulses (the main rabi crops), plus jute, maize and horticulture fruits like mango, jackfruit and guava. Among term loans, poultry (₹177 crore) leads, followed by plantation & horticulture including sericulture (₹106 crore), dairy (₹90 crore) and fisheries (₹69 crore). Food and agro-processing — fruit, vegetable, meat, fish and poultry processing — carries ₹255 crore, and storage / marketing infrastructure another ₹200 crore. Off the farm, Howrah's real strength is manufacturing: small parts and machinery, agro-based industries and Zari work (which employs many women), spread across the district's 14 blocks and 734 villages.
The plan flags clear gaps to fix first. The district has only one soil-testing centre (samples travel to Kolkata), so a local facility is needed. It also urges full KCC coverage — including landless farmers via JLGs — better PACS warehouse-receipt (NWR) awareness, and new industrial growth centres and PPP models to grow the MSME base.
What the plan promotes
- Paddy is the main kharif crop while potato and pulses are the main rabi crops; a crop loan potential of ₹1487.51cr has been assessed, with jute, maize, groundnut and horticulture crops like mango, jackfruit, guava, papaya and lime also grown.
- Poultry is the single largest agriculture term-loan line at ₹176.97cr, reflecting strong rearing activity across the district's 14 blocks.
- Plantation & horticulture (including sericulture) carries ₹105.54cr of potential; the PLP flags good scope for floriculture and horticulture development.
- Dairy is assessed at ₹90.06cr and sheep-goat-piggery at ₹38.48cr; goat and sheep rearing is a main occupation of rural people.
- Fisheries (marine, inland, brackish water) are assessed at ₹68.50cr, a remunerative activity the PLP says bank credit has under-served.
- Food & agro processing has ₹254.81cr of potential, focused on fruit & vegetable, meat, fish and poultry processing.
Gaps the plan names
- Howrah has only one soil-testing centre (at KVK / Agriculture Dept); soil samples must be sent to Kolkata for testing due to the lack of a local facility.
- Banks should cover all eligible farmers with KCC, including landless farmers through the JLG mode, to widen crop-credit reach.
- The line departments should draw an action plan for awareness, input supply and infrastructure development given the good but under-tapped potential in floriculture, horticulture, dairy, poultry and fisheries.
- Cooperation department should sensitise PACS about Negotiable Warehouse Receipts (NWR), accreditation and WDRA registration to unlock warehouse-based lending.
- Government should set up industrial growth centres in the district and encourage private players / PPP models to grow the MSME base.
See the plan's recommendations
What the plan promotes
- Paddy is the main kharif crop while potato and pulses are the main rabi crops; a crop loan potential of ₹1487.51cr has been assessed, with jute, maize, groundnut and horticulture crops like mango, jackfruit, guava, papaya and lime also grown.
- Poultry is the single largest agriculture term-loan line at ₹176.97cr, reflecting strong rearing activity across the district's 14 blocks.
- Plantation & horticulture (including sericulture) carries ₹105.54cr of potential; the PLP flags good scope for floriculture and horticulture development.
- Dairy is assessed at ₹90.06cr and sheep-goat-piggery at ₹38.48cr; goat and sheep rearing is a main occupation of rural people.
- Fisheries (marine, inland, brackish water) are assessed at ₹68.50cr, a remunerative activity the PLP says bank credit has under-served.
- Food & agro processing has ₹254.81cr of potential, focused on fruit & vegetable, meat, fish and poultry processing.
Gaps the plan names
- Howrah has only one soil-testing centre (at KVK / Agriculture Dept); soil samples must be sent to Kolkata for testing due to the lack of a local facility.
- Banks should cover all eligible farmers with KCC, including landless farmers through the JLG mode, to widen crop-credit reach.
- The line departments should draw an action plan for awareness, input supply and infrastructure development given the good but under-tapped potential in floriculture, horticulture, dairy, poultry and fisheries.
- Cooperation department should sensitise PACS about Negotiable Warehouse Receipts (NWR), accreditation and WDRA registration to unlock warehouse-based lending.
- Government should set up industrial growth centres in the district and encourage private players / PPP models to grow the MSME base.
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 Howrah
Howrah district is a district of the West Bengal state in eastern India. Howrah district is one of the most highly urbanized areas in West Bengal. It has thousands of years of rich heritage in the form of the great Bengali kingdom of Bhurshut. The district is named after its headquarters, the city of Howrah.
Source: Wikipedia — Howrah district
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