The northern sector of India is rich in agriculture and has been India’s breadbasket since the Green Revolution.
Punjab – Punjab plays an important role in national grain production with about 16 per cent of the nation’s wheat and 11 per cent of its rice. This region is among India’s more prosperous states. But its economy is currently sluggish, having failed to diversify away from wheat and paddy agriculture, build industry and generate jobs. To revive the economy, the government is focussed on enhancing agricultural productivity, diversifying industry and addressing youth unemployment through skills training.
Delhi – The NCR region has multiple economic zones and industrial clusters, including Noida and Gurugram, known for their IT services sectors, Faridabad, an industrial centre, Meerut, an education hub, as well as Ghaziabad, Alwar. The consumer base in the region is somewhat cultured, with it’s per capita income being almost three times the national average. Despite improvements in physical infrastructure and India’s most extensive road network, congestion, air pollution, water and power shortages remain major concerns. The NCR is a common ground for Australian businesses in India.
Himachal Pradesh – Himachal Pradesh is one of India’s least urbanised states, with 90 per cent of the population in rural areas. The state economy is driven by hydropower generation, agriculture, horticulture, and tourism. Agriculture is the mainstay of Himachal Pradesh’s largely rural economy. The state’s recent performance on educational outcomes is exceptional by north Indian standards.
Jammu and Kashmir – India’s northern-most state is the state of Jammu and Kashmir and the only state with a Muslim-majority population. The state retains a unique legal identity within India. The state continues to attract a significant number of tourists, but security concerns are dampening economic opportunity, with little external investment and employment growth, particularly in the Kashmir Valley.
Rajasthan – Rajastan is India’s largest state by area and faces severe water scarcity, with large areas of desert and extensive dry land farming. The state has supported a series of reforms to diversity the state’s economic base and attract investment, including robust labour reforms, reforms in solar, agriculture, the start-up ecosystem, minerals, tourism, land allotment and financial inclusion.
Uttarakhand – Uttarakhand as a lower-cost base from which to access larger north Indian state economies. There remains large untapped potential in hydropower, tourism and horticulture. But the state’s difficult terrain and connectivity challenges mean that costs for business are considerable. Although agriculture remains the occupation of a large proportion of the state’s workforce, the contribution of agriculture to GSDP has fallen since the state’s formation. Uttarakhand is in need of significant tourism infrastructure investment. The state is home not only to some of India’s most sacred Hindu temples, but also significant sites for Buddhists and Sikhs.
Uttar Pradesh – Uttar Pradesh in northern India is the most populous state of over 220 million in the country and a bellwether for national politics. It is India’s third largest state economy driven largely by agriculture, but remains one of India’s less developed states, with per capita income half the national average. Australian commercial engagement has been limited due to poor perceptions of the ease of doing business and infrastructure gaps. But the state has unparalleled scale and untapped markets. The significance of its young demographics and national political clout will only increase. There is huge economic potential with relatively higher income segments, particularly in the state’s west, driven by proximity to the state capital- New Delhi.
Punjab – Punjab plays an important role in national grain production with about 16 per cent of the nation’s wheat and 11 per cent of its rice. This region is among India’s more prosperous states. But its economy is currently sluggish, having failed to diversify away from wheat and paddy agriculture, build industry and generate jobs. To revive the economy, the government is focussed on enhancing agricultural productivity, diversifying industry and addressing youth unemployment through skills training.
Delhi – The NCR region has multiple economic zones and industrial clusters, including Noida and Gurugram, known for their IT services sectors, Faridabad, an industrial centre, Meerut, an education hub, as well as Ghaziabad, Alwar. The consumer base in the region is somewhat cultured, with it’s per capita income being almost three times the national average. Despite improvements in physical infrastructure and India’s most extensive road network, congestion, air pollution, water and power shortages remain major concerns. The NCR is a common ground for Australian businesses in India.
Himachal Pradesh – Himachal Pradesh is one of India’s least urbanised states, with 90 per cent of the population in rural areas. The state economy is driven by hydropower generation, agriculture, horticulture, and tourism. Agriculture is the mainstay of Himachal Pradesh’s largely rural economy. The state’s recent performance on educational outcomes is exceptional by north Indian standards.
Jammu and Kashmir – India’s northern-most state is the state of Jammu and Kashmir and the only state with a Muslim-majority population. The state retains a unique legal identity within India. The state continues to attract a significant number of tourists, but security concerns are dampening economic opportunity, with little external investment and employment growth, particularly in the Kashmir Valley.
Rajasthan – Rajastan is India’s largest state by area and faces severe water scarcity, with large areas of desert and extensive dry land farming. The state has supported a series of reforms to diversity the state’s economic base and attract investment, including robust labour reforms, reforms in solar, agriculture, the start-up ecosystem, minerals, tourism, land allotment and financial inclusion.
Uttarakhand – Uttarakhand as a lower-cost base from which to access larger north Indian state economies. There remains large untapped potential in hydropower, tourism and horticulture. But the state’s difficult terrain and connectivity challenges mean that costs for business are considerable. Although agriculture remains the occupation of a large proportion of the state’s workforce, the contribution of agriculture to GSDP has fallen since the state’s formation. Uttarakhand is in need of significant tourism infrastructure investment. The state is home not only to some of India’s most sacred Hindu temples, but also significant sites for Buddhists and Sikhs.
Uttar Pradesh – Uttar Pradesh in northern India is the most populous state of over 220 million in the country and a bellwether for national politics. It is India’s third largest state economy driven largely by agriculture, but remains one of India’s less developed states, with per capita income half the national average. Australian commercial engagement has been limited due to poor perceptions of the ease of doing business and infrastructure gaps. But the state has unparalleled scale and untapped markets. The significance of its young demographics and national political clout will only increase. There is huge economic potential with relatively higher income segments, particularly in the state’s west, driven by proximity to the state capital- New Delhi.