Murshidabadমুর্শিদাবাদ
71.0 lakh people. Larger than Singapore, Denmark, or Finland. Governed as one cell of one state.
- Population
- 71,03,807 (71.0 lakh)
- Area
- 5,324 km²
- Headquarters
- Berhampore
₹19,300 cr
of bankable business potential identified by the government in Murshidabad.
Source: NABARD PLP 2023-24
Opportunities
What you can build here
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NABARD's plan for Murshidabad · PLP 2023-24
₹19,300 crof bankable credit potential identified by the government
Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME)
₹7,310 cr
Crop production, maintenance & marketing
₹6,301 cr
Term loans for agriculture & allied activities
₹1,821 cr
Others (SHGs/JLGs, distressed-debt swap, PMJDY, SC/ST orgs)
₹1,820 cr
Murshidabad's NABARD credit plan for 2023-24 pegs the district's total priority-sector potential at about ₹19,300 crore. Farming and allied activities make up roughly ₹9,043 crore (about 47%), and the single biggest non-farm bet is MSME at ₹7,310 crore — the plan's flagship focus this year.
On the farm side, ordinary crop loans dominate at ₹6,301 crore, covering paddy, jute, wheat, oilseeds, pulses, vegetables and fruit on very intensively cropped land (cropping intensity 252%). The clearest business openings are in livestock and fish: poultry (₹574 crore), dairy (₹324 crore, with a plan to grow the Bhagirathi Milk Union), and fisheries (₹270 crore) from the district's many ponds and bheels. Food and agro-processing carries ₹454 crore of potential, backed by the district's rice mills, mustard-oil and flour units, plus scope in jute processing.
Beyond farming, the district's identity is in traditional clusters: Murshidabad silk and sericulture (₹236 crore), handloom, khadi and muslin, ivory carving in Khagra and Jiaganj, conch-shell work, brick-making, and tourism around Motijheel and Hazarduari. GI-tagging and export-quality upgrades are encouraged.
The plan is candid about the roadblocks: weak roads and power, border-area law-and-order problems, low literacy, and groundwater stress in 16 of 26 blocks. It also flags a shaky cooperative sector (a non-compliant DCCB, loss-making ARDBs, many dormant PACS) and calls for large jute mills and handloom revival.
What the plan promotes
- Agriculture supports over 70% of the district population; net cultivated area 3,98,344 ha, gross cropped area 10,04,130 ha and cropping intensity 252% on red/yellow deltaic alluvial soil (Berhampore division)
- Crop production is the single biggest credit line at ₹6301.44cr, covering paddy, jute, wheat, oilseeds, pulses, vegetables, spices, condiments and fruits, with maize and oilseed acreage rising
- Animal husbandry is a major thrust: poultry ₹574.12cr and dairy ₹324.32cr term-loan potential, with a proposal to expand collection and processing capacity of Bhagirathi Milk Union
- Fisheries potential of ₹270.15cr driven by numerous water bodies, bheels and bheris that need rejuvenation
- Plantation and horticulture including sericulture at ₹235.58cr; Murshidabad silk (mulberry cultivation, reeling and weaving) is a historic cluster needing revival
- MSME is the flagship focus for 2023-24 at ₹7310.10cr, targeting food processing, silk, handloom, khadi, muslin and plastic clusters across blocks
Gaps the plan names
- Lack of coordination among stakeholders and weak physical infrastructure — poor connectivity and power availability — hamper development and credit flow
- As a border district with Bangladesh, many areas prone to malpractices and anti-social/illegal activity, which restrains investment
- Low literacy and female literacy compared to the state average is a limiting factor in the district's development and human capital
- Groundwater stress: 16 of 26 blocks are in critical/semi-critical category, requiring surface-water use, water conservation and crop selection suited to water availability
- Weak cooperative sector — DCCB non-compliant with Sec 11 of BR Act 1949, both ARDBs carrying accumulated losses, and many PACS with high NPAs, poor audits and dormant units
See the plan's recommendations
What the plan promotes
- Agriculture supports over 70% of the district population; net cultivated area 3,98,344 ha, gross cropped area 10,04,130 ha and cropping intensity 252% on red/yellow deltaic alluvial soil (Berhampore division)
- Crop production is the single biggest credit line at ₹6301.44cr, covering paddy, jute, wheat, oilseeds, pulses, vegetables, spices, condiments and fruits, with maize and oilseed acreage rising
- Animal husbandry is a major thrust: poultry ₹574.12cr and dairy ₹324.32cr term-loan potential, with a proposal to expand collection and processing capacity of Bhagirathi Milk Union
- Fisheries potential of ₹270.15cr driven by numerous water bodies, bheels and bheris that need rejuvenation
- Plantation and horticulture including sericulture at ₹235.58cr; Murshidabad silk (mulberry cultivation, reeling and weaving) is a historic cluster needing revival
- MSME is the flagship focus for 2023-24 at ₹7310.10cr, targeting food processing, silk, handloom, khadi, muslin and plastic clusters across blocks
Gaps the plan names
- Lack of coordination among stakeholders and weak physical infrastructure — poor connectivity and power availability — hamper development and credit flow
- As a border district with Bangladesh, many areas prone to malpractices and anti-social/illegal activity, which restrains investment
- Low literacy and female literacy compared to the state average is a limiting factor in the district's development and human capital
- Groundwater stress: 16 of 26 blocks are in critical/semi-critical category, requiring surface-water use, water conservation and crop selection suited to water availability
- Weak cooperative sector — DCCB non-compliant with Sec 11 of BR Act 1949, both ARDBs carrying accumulated losses, and many PACS with high NPAs, poor audits and dormant units
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 Murshidabad
Murshidabad district is a district in the Indian state of West Bengal. Situated on the left bank of the river Ganges, the district is very fertile. Covering an area of 5,341 km2 (2,062 sq mi) and having a population 7.103 million, it is a densely populated district and the ninth most populous in India. Berhampore city is the headquarters of the district.
Source: Wikipedia — Murshidabad district
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