North 24 Parganasউত্তর চব্বিশ পরগনা
100.1 lakh people. Larger than Austria, Switzerland, or Singapore. Governed as one cell of one state.
- Population
- 1,00,09,781 (100.1 lakh)
- Area
- 4,094 km²
- Headquarters
- Barasat
₹20,348 cr
of bankable business potential identified by the government in North 24 Parganas.
Source: NABARD PLP 2023-24
Opportunities
What you can build here
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NABARD's plan for North 24 Parganas · PLP 2023-24
₹20,348 crof bankable credit potential identified by the government
MSME
₹11,913 cr
Crop production, maintenance & marketing
₹2,390 cr
Housing
₹2,108 cr
Informal credit - SHGs/JLGs (Micro credit)
₹1,518 cr
North 24 Parganas has a total priority-sector credit potential of about ₹20,348 crore for 2023-24, up 10.4% over the previous year. The plan is dominated by MSME at ₹11,913 crore (about 59%) - the district's pottery, terracotta, bell-metal, woodcraft and soft-toy clusters thrive on nearness to Kolkata and the airport, and split roughly evenly between term loans and working capital. Agriculture and allied activities add ₹4,503 crore (about 22%), and housing is a big third pillar at ₹2,108 crore on the back of fast urbanisation in Barrackpore, Barasat, Habra and Rajarhat.
On the farm side, crop loans for paddy, vegetables, jute and onion make up ₹2,390 crore over 226,190 hectares. Fisheries is the standout allied opportunity at ₹725 crore, with strong scope in Minakhan and Sandeshkhali blocks, followed by dairy (₹171 crore) and food & agro-processing (₹632 crore). The district is a declared Agri-Export Zone, yet farmers still sell around 2 lakh tonnes of surplus vegetables cheaply for want of markets and storage.
The plan flags clear gaps holding this back: too few cold stores and rural godowns, weak last-mile roads and milk routes, no soil-test labs, privately controlled haats run by middlemen, shrinking farmland from urbanisation in 7 blocks, and saline soils across the 5 Sundarban blocks.
What the plan promotes
- Crop credit covers 226190 ha (42% of gross cropped area) for the district's main crops - paddy, vegetables, jute and onion (crop production ST potential ₹2389.87 cr)
- Fisheries is the largest allied avenue at ₹724.65 cr, driven by water bodies and Kolkata demand; strong potential in Minakhan, Sandeshkhali-I & II blocks
- Dairy is an emerging income avenue at ₹171.07 cr for CB cows, graded buffaloes and mini dairy units, with a ready market
- Food & agro processing potential of ₹632.08 cr for processing surplus food & horticulture crops, preservation units and processed fish/meat units
- MSME dominates at ₹11913.20 cr (~59% of plan) - traditional pottery, terracotta, bell metal, woodcrafts and soft-toy clusters near Kolkata and Netaji Subhash International Airport (8 km from HQ)
- About 2.0 lakh tonnes of surplus vegetables produced; the district is a declared Agri-Export Zone for vegetables and fruits with export credit potential ₹77.22 cr
Gaps the plan names
- Missing critical infrastructure - soil test labs, last-mile road connectivity, milk routes, storage facilities, energization of irrigation structures and more brick-and-mortar bank branches to cover all gram panchayats
- Lack of rural godowns and cold-chain/cold-storage, to be addressed by creating an enabling environment for private participation
- Shortage of quality planting material and processing facilities holding back the horticulture and agro-processing sectors
- Most markets and haats are privately owned and controlled by intermediaries and need to be organized; poor storage forces distress sale of ~2.0 lakh tonnes of surplus vegetables at cheap rates
- Shrinking cultivable land due to rapid urbanization in 7 blocks, plus saline, nature-exposed soils in the 5 Sundarban blocks
See the plan's recommendations
What the plan promotes
- Crop credit covers 226190 ha (42% of gross cropped area) for the district's main crops - paddy, vegetables, jute and onion (crop production ST potential ₹2389.87 cr)
- Fisheries is the largest allied avenue at ₹724.65 cr, driven by water bodies and Kolkata demand; strong potential in Minakhan, Sandeshkhali-I & II blocks
- Dairy is an emerging income avenue at ₹171.07 cr for CB cows, graded buffaloes and mini dairy units, with a ready market
- Food & agro processing potential of ₹632.08 cr for processing surplus food & horticulture crops, preservation units and processed fish/meat units
- MSME dominates at ₹11913.20 cr (~59% of plan) - traditional pottery, terracotta, bell metal, woodcrafts and soft-toy clusters near Kolkata and Netaji Subhash International Airport (8 km from HQ)
- About 2.0 lakh tonnes of surplus vegetables produced; the district is a declared Agri-Export Zone for vegetables and fruits with export credit potential ₹77.22 cr
Gaps the plan names
- Missing critical infrastructure - soil test labs, last-mile road connectivity, milk routes, storage facilities, energization of irrigation structures and more brick-and-mortar bank branches to cover all gram panchayats
- Lack of rural godowns and cold-chain/cold-storage, to be addressed by creating an enabling environment for private participation
- Shortage of quality planting material and processing facilities holding back the horticulture and agro-processing sectors
- Most markets and haats are privately owned and controlled by intermediaries and need to be organized; poor storage forces distress sale of ~2.0 lakh tonnes of surplus vegetables at cheap rates
- Shrinking cultivable land due to rapid urbanization in 7 blocks, plus saline, nature-exposed soils in the 5 Sundarban blocks
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 North 24 Parganas
North 24 Parganas (abv. 24 PGS (N)) or sometimes North Twenty Four Parganas is a district in southern West Bengal, of eastern India. North 24 Parganas extends in the tropical zone from latitude 22°11′6″ N to 23°15′2″ N and from longitude 88°20′ E to 89°5′ E. Barasat is the district headquarters of North 24 Parganas. North 24 Parganas is West Bengal's most populous district and also (since 2014) the most populated district in the whole of India. It is the tenth-largest district in the State by area.
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