Business and Economy of Nalanda

Nalanda is one of the most important regions in the state of Bihar. The city boasts of a large variety of tourist attractions, ranging from the ruins of the world’s most ancient university to number of religious spots as well as cultural sites. Tourism no doubt, plays a vital role in the upliftment of Nalanda’s economy. It is one of the 36 districts in Bihar currently receiving funds from the Backward Regions Grant Fund Programme (BRGF). Thus efforts are now being made to improve the industrial sector and thus the economy of Nalanda.

Agriculture and Horticulture in Nalanda

Agriculture, being the main occupation of people in Nalanda, is an important source of revenue. Paddy, onions, potatoes are some of the major crops grown in this region. The farmers of Nalanda are quite innovative when it comes to agricultural practices and do not shy away from taking the help of modern technology as and when required. Some of the modern agricultural practices followed by the farmers of Nalanda include area expansion, protected cultivation, organic farming, mushroom spawn production etc. The high-density methods of farming and the use of organic fertilizers by the farmers worked wonders, boosting up the agricultural produce, thus paving a way to farmers worldwide. Some of the records held by the people of Nalanda in the field of agriculture include:

• World record of producing 220 quintals of paddy per hectare using SRI (System of Rice Intensification) method.

• World record of potato production by producing 1,088 quintals per hectare

• World record for production of large-sized potatoes

• World record of onion output by producing 660 quintals per hectare

The potatoes produced are sent to food processing factories through local traders. In addition, a number of fruits like mango, guava, lemon, banana etc and flowers like rose, gladiolus, marigold, jasmine, carnation etc are produced in this region.

Industrial and Economic Development in Nalanda

Eastern India's first fully automatic dairy and tetra-packaging project named ‘Nalanda Dairy Plant' has been set up in Nalanda. With a 4 lakh litres milk processing and 6,600 litres/hour tetra packaging capacity the plant contributes a lot in the economy of Bihar in general and Nalanda in particular. This is viewed as an effort to boost the milk production in the state and make it self-reliant in this sector. Another significant achievement is the setting up of Ordinance factory which is one of the 41 Indian Ordnance Factories that has been set up by the Ministry of Defence, Government of India to manufacture artillery shells in Nalanda.

The spawn production lab in Nalanda proves to be a boon for the women folk. They have taken up mushroom cultivation as a cottage industry, thus increasing their revenue levels. The Government is planning to set up an IT city in Nalanda near the upcoming International Nalanda University to help create job opportunities and thus boost the economy of Bihar.

Contribution of Tourism in the Economy of Nalanda

It can be rightly said that tourism is directly linked with the cultural, economic and intellectual potential of a place. The travel guide of Nalanda is full of references to the exciting places of cultural and religious importance and spiritual legacy. Naland aattracts a mix of crowd including research scholars, archaeologists, Buddhist pilgrims etc from far and wide. Considering the increase in number of tourists, especially over the recent years, government has been making efforts to improve tourism to its optimum level.

The infrastructural changes like setting up of Tourist Information Centres, building transportation network, setting up of Heritage Hotels etc. have already started showing their effects. Statistics show that almost 90% of tourists to Bihar come here for Bodh Gaya, Nalanda and Vaishali.These efforts have also helped create job opportunities, especially among the rural population. The upcoming Nalanda International University is expected to add to the contribution of tourism in Nalanda. It can attract huge number of foreign tourists, thus earning foreign exchange and boosting up the economy.

The new revolution has already begun and now the day is not far away when tourism in Nalanda would be a principal contributor not only to the state's economy but also to the country's economy. There are plans of reconstructing the great university that was destroyed about 800 years ago. To extend the momentum, there are talks of constructing a world-class convention center, an international airport and state-of-the-art hospitals. These steps may ensure help Nalanda regain its economic growth and political stability. Thus efforts are being made to improve the economy of Nalanda and ensure its all-over development.