MockSutra

Economy, Industry & Cooperatives of Punjab

Englishਪੰਜਾਬੀ
1 SI questionsPunjab EconomyFree during launch
Punjab GK: all chapters
Close-up of ripening wheat ears in a field in Punjab, India
Ripening wheat in Punjab. Wheat and paddy are the base of the state's farm economy and of its "Granary of India" name. Image: Satpal Dandiwal, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Punjab is a small state — about 1.5% of India's area — but it is famous as the Granary of India. Today its economy rests on three legs: farming, small and medium industry (Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Mandi Gobindgarh) and a growing services sector. This page covers the numbers exams ask (each with its year), the industrial towns and what they make, power plants, cooperatives and boards, and roads, rail and post. Figures change every year, so always learn them with their year.

~₹8.9 lakh cr
GSDP
2025–26 revised estimate
~₹2.3 lakh
Per-capita income
2025–26
~50%
Services share of GSVA
largest sector
1.5%
Share of India's area
50,362 sq km

Economy in numbers

Every figure below has a year. Never quote a dated figure as "current".

KEY TERM
GSDP and GSVA

GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) is the value of all goods and services produced in a state in one year. GSVA (Gross State Value Added) is almost the same, but it is measured sector by sector — so it is used to show the share of farming, industry and services. Example: a mill buys cotton for ₹60 and sells cloth for ₹100. The value it added is ₹40 — and that ₹40 is what GSVA counts.

Agriculture→Industry→Services→= GSVA
SHARE OF OUTPUT VS SHARE OF JOBS
Share of output (GSVA)
Share of jobs
Agriculture and allied (crops, dairy, fisheries)
~25%
~25% of the workforce (Economic Survey 2023–24)
Industry (manufacturing, construction, power)
~25% (one-fourth)
about one-third of total employment
Services (trade, transport, banking, IT, government)
~50% — the largest
~38% of the workforce (PLFS 2020–21)
Industry gives more jobs than its share of output. The job figures come from different surveys and years, so they do not add up to 100%. PLFS = Periodic Labour Force Survey.
  • Punjab has moved away from a purely farm-based economy: the services share of output has grown and is now the largest. But agriculture is still the backbone — services have not replaced it as an employer, and industry has not shrunk because of services.
  • Between 2011–12 and 2022–23, agriculture saw the largest fall in its share of rural jobs. Why: tractors and combines need fewer workers, so people moved to factories, trade and services.
  • Inside industry, manufacturing is the biggest part, followed by construction.
  • Punjab is a land of small and medium units. Older state figures (around 2011) counted over 1.04 lakh small and medium industries and about 600 large-scale industries.
IndicatorFigure (year, source)
Poverty headcount ratio (share of people below the poverty line)Rural 7.66%, Urban 9.24% (all Punjab 8.26%) — 2011–12 (Tendulkar method), quoted in Punjab Economic Survey 2023–24
Road connectivityPunjab ranked 1st in the country — State economic indicators
Share in central-pool procurementWheat 46.24%, rice 31.22% — 2023–24, Punjab Economic Survey 2023–24
Milk available per person1,245 g/day (India 471 g) — 2023–24, NDDB
Share of India's milk outputabout 10% in the 2000s; about 6% now — Older books give 10%
Share in central taxesabout 1.8% under the 15th Finance Commission (2021–26) — Older books give 1.577% — the 14th Finance Commission (2015–20)
All of these are dated figures. Before an exam, check the latest Punjab Economic Survey.
QUICK CHECK
What are the poverty headcount ratios for rural and urban Punjab, as quoted in the Punjab Economic Survey 2023–24?
Tap an option to answer
QUICK CHECK
The industrial sector accounts for ______ of the total employment in Punjab.
Tap an option to answer

Revenue and taxes

Where the Punjab government's own money comes from.

  • The largest part of Punjab's own tax revenue comes from State GST (SGST).
  • Other big sources: state excise (tax on liquor), VAT on petrol, diesel and liquor, and stamp duty and registration fees on property.
  • Excise Policy 2025–26: targeted excise revenue of about ₹11,020 crore.
  • Punjab also gets a share of central taxes, fixed by the Finance Commission: about 1.8% under the 15th Finance Commission (2021–26). Older books give 1.577% — that was the 14th Finance Commission (2015–20).
QUICK FACT

After GST came in, excise duty stayed only on a few goods. The state levies excise on alcohol; the Centre's excise is now mainly on petroleum and tobacco.

QUICK CHECK
The largest component in Punjab's tax revenue comes from:
Tap an option to answer

Industrial towns

The most asked part of this topic. Learn the town → product pairs.

MAP
Industrial towns of Punjab
Himachal PradeshHaryanaRajasthanJammu & KashmirPakistanRaviSutlejChenabBeasLudhiana – hosiery, cyclesJalandhar – sports goodsMandi Gobindgarh – steelBatala – iron foundriesAmritsar – textiles, shawlsBathinda – oil refinery nearbyRajpura – IMCMalout – cotton millKapurthala – Rail Coach Factory
Main industrial belt (Jalandhar – Ludhiana – Gobindgarh)Rivers
Main industrial towns on today's district map. The biggest cluster lies along the old Grand Trunk Road: Jalandhar – Ludhiana – Mandi Gobindgarh. The refinery is at Phulokhari near Talwandi Sabo, south of Bathinda city. Nangal (NFL fertiliser) and Mohali (IT, pharma) are in the tables below.
Map: geoBoundaries (ODbL; DataMeet CC BY 2.5 IN), Natural Earth rivers (public domain)
TownDistrictKnown for
LudhianaLudhianaHosiery and woollens, knitwear, bicycles (Hero, Avon), sewing machines, auto parts — "Manchester of Punjab" (exam papers also say "Manchester of India")
JalandharJalandharSports goods, leather, hand tools, surgical instruments
Mandi GobindgarhFatehgarh SahibSteel re-rolling mills — the largest number in Punjab; "Loha Nagri" (steel town)
BatalaGurdaspurIron foundries, agricultural machinery
AmritsarAmritsarTextiles and shawls, papad-warian, food processing
BathindaBathindaGuru Gobind Singh Refinery; thermal power; solar plant
RajpuraPatialaIntegrated Manufacturing Cluster (IMC); Nabha Power thermal plant
MaloutSri Muktsar SahibCooperative cotton spinning mill; cotton belt (with Abohar)
KhannaLudhianaBiggest grain market (anaj mandi) of Punjab, among the largest in Asia
More on each city: Districts and cities of Punjab.
Ludhiana
Manchester of Punjab

Named for its heavy industrialisation (industrialization) — hosiery, woollens, cycles — like Manchester, England's textile city. Exams often say "Manchester of India"; in all-India GK that title usually goes to Ahmedabad.

Mandi Gobindgarh
Loha Nagri

Steel town: the largest cluster of steel rolling mills in Punjab.

Jalandhar
Sports-goods hub

Cricket, hockey and football gear, sold across the world.

Khanna
Biggest grain market

Punjab's largest anaj mandi, among the largest in Asia.

More industrial townsTap to open
TownDistrictKnown for
PhagwaraKapurthalaSugar mill, JCT textiles
KapurthalaKapurthalaRail Coach Factory (1986)
NangalRupnagarNFL fertiliser plant
Mohali / DerabassiSAS NagarIT, pharma; state Biotechnology Park
HoshiarpurHoshiarpurWood inlay craft; Sonalika tractors
Kartarpur / MalerkotlaJalandhar / MalerkotlaFurniture / badges and embroidery
MukerianHoshiarpurPaper mill; Mukerian hydel project
VerkaAmritsarFirst Milkfed dairy plant (brand Verka)
MogaMogaNestlé plant
Goindwal SahibTarn TaranIndustrial focal point; Guru Amardas thermal plant
Rooftop view across the crowded city of Ludhiana under a cloudy sky
Ludhiana, Punjab's largest city and biggest industrial centre — the "Manchester of Punjab". Image: Benison P Baby, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
REMEMBER

"Ludhiana Looms, Jalandhar Jumps, Gobindgarh Grinds, Batala Burns" — Ludhiana knits (hosiery), Jalandhar makes sports goods, Mandi Gobindgarh rolls steel, Batala melts and casts iron (foundry).

FLASHCARDS
Town → what it makes
Ludhiana
Hosiery, woollens, bicycles — "Manchester of Punjab"
Jalandhar
Sports goods, leather, hand tools
Mandi Gobindgarh
Most steel re-rolling mills — "Loha Nagri"
Batala
Iron foundries, farm machinery
Khanna
Biggest grain market (anaj mandi) of Punjab
Malout
Cooperative cotton spinning mill
Rajpura
Integrated Manufacturing Cluster (IMC)
Bathinda (Phulokhari)
Guru Gobind Singh Refinery — HMEL, 2012
Kapurthala
Rail Coach Factory (1986)
Verka (Amritsar)
First Milkfed dairy plant — brand Verka
QUICK CHECK
Which district of Punjab is famous for manufacturing sports goods?
Tap an option to answer
QUICK CHECK
In which area of Punjab is the largest number of steel rolling mills located?
Tap an option to answer

Big projects and policies

ProjectPlaceKey facts
Guru Gobind Singh RefineryPhulokhari, near Talwandi Sabo, BathindaRun by HMEL (HPCL–Mittal Energy Ltd, a joint venture); commissioned 2012; about 11.3 million tonnes a year
Integrated Manufacturing Cluster (IMC)Rajpura (Patiala)On the Amritsar–Kolkata Industrial Corridor (a planned belt of industry along the route from Amritsar to Kolkata), near the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (a goods-only railway line)
Rail Coach FactoryKapurthalaMakes railway coaches; set up 1986
Patiala Locomotive Works (PLW)PatialaRailway locomotive works; earlier called Diesel Loco Modernisation Works (DMW)
NFL fertiliser plantNangal (Rupnagar)Fertiliser
Biotechnology ParkMohaliA public–private partnership (PPP) project
First megawatt-scale solar plant of IndiaAwan village, AmritsarAzure Power, grid-connected, December 2009
Entrance gate with a green sign reading Welcome Rail Coach Factory Kapurthala, on a tree-lined road
Gate of the Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala — it makes railway coaches and was set up in 1986. Image: Rajeshwarr Singh, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
TIMELINE
  1. 1974
    First thermal plant

    Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant, Bathinda. It stopped running in September 2017 and was formally closed from 1 January 2018.

  2. 1986
    Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala
  3. 2009
    Three policies and a solar first

    Industrial Policy 2009, Punjab Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Act 2009, Agro-Industrial Policy 2009; Awan solar plant (Dec).

  4. 2012
    Refinery and NRSE Policy

    Guru Gobind Singh Refinery, Bathinda; New and Renewable Sources of Energy (NRSE) Policy 2012.

  5. 2013
    New Industrial Policy

    Replaced the 2009 policy.

COMMON TRAPS
  • Policy years: Agro-Industrial Policy = 2009 and NRSE Policy = 2012 are right. The Industrial Policy before 2013 was of 2009, not 2007, and the Punjab SEZ Act is 2009, not 2008.
  • The refinery is at Bathinda (Phulokhari) — not Barnala, Sangrur, Mansa or Patiala.
  • The IMC is at Rajpura — not Mohali, Ludhiana or Mandi Gobindgarh.
  • Malout = cotton mill; Mukerian = paper mill and hydel; Verka = dairy; Goindwal Sahib = industrial focal point.
QUICK CHECK
Which of these policies and acts are correctly matched with their year? (1) Industrial Policy of Punjab – 2007 (2) Punjab Special Economic Zone Act – 2008 (3) Punjab Agro-Industrial Policy – 2009 (4) Punjab New and Renewable Sources of Energy Policy – 2012
Tap an option to answer

Agriculture: the backbone

The farm facts that economy questions use. Full detail: Climate, soils and agriculture.

  • Punjab is called the Granary of India (or bread basket) because of its huge output of wheat and rice, sent to the central pool.
  • The Green Revolution of the mid-1960s had its earliest and greatest success in Punjab: high-yielding wheat, tubewells, fertiliser, assured MSP and PAU Ludhiana (1962).
  • With about 1.5% of India's area, Punjab gave 46.24% of central-pool wheat and 31.22% of rice in 2023–24.
  • About 99% of the cropped area is irrigated. The main sources are tubewells (about 72%) and canals (about 28%).
  • Punjab has the highest tractor density in India and one of the highest fertiliser uses per hectare.
  • The wheat–paddy cycle is the base of farming. Cotton grows in the Malwa belt (Bathinda, Mansa, Fazilka, Sri Muktsar Sahib).
Crop seasons tableTap to open
CropSeasonMain area in Punjab
WheatRabi (winter)Whole state — the main rabi crop
Barley, gram, mustardRabiScattered; mustard and gram are small now
Rice (paddy)Kharif (monsoon)Whole state, above all the central plain
BasmatiKharifMajha (Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur)
CottonKharifMalwa cotton belt — Bathinda, Mansa, Fazilka, Sri Muktsar Sahib
MaizeKharifHoshiarpur and the Kandi belt
SugarcanePlanted Feb–MarchNorthern districts, near sugar mills
KinnowFruitAbohar–Fazilka, Hoshiarpur
Rabi crops are sown in winter and cut in spring. Kharif crops are sown with the monsoon and cut in autumn.
Main crops of Punjab
Young green wheat crop in a level field in Punjab
Wheat — the main rabi (winter) crop
Sarbjit Bahga, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Golden ripening paddy in a field
Paddy (rice) — kharif; wheat–paddy is the main cycle
Sarbjit Bahga, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Rows of bushy cotton plants in a field
Cotton — kharif, in the Malwa cotton belt
Mulkh Singh, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
Rows of kinnow fruit trees in an orchard
Kinnow orchard — Abohar–Fazilka and Hoshiarpur
vikas bishnoi, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
Image
SEASON CHECK

Wheat is rabi (winter). Rice, cotton and maize are kharif (rainy season). So in a "crop – season" pair, only Wheat – Rabi is correct among these four.

QUICK FACT

Dairy: Punjab gave about 10% of India's milk in the 2000s (now about 6%), but it still has one of the highest milk supplies per person — 1,245 g a day in 2023–24.

QUICK CHECK
Which of the following is NOT correct?
Tap an option to answer

Minerals and power

Few minerals, so power comes from coal plants, dams and the sun.

Punjab is an alluvial plain (land made of river silt), so it has very few minerals. Its best-known mineral is saltpetre (shora, potassium nitrate). There is also some kankar, limestone, sand and brick earth. There is no coal, iron ore, gold or oil. So Punjab's power comes from coal-based thermal plants, hydel (water-power) projects and its share in BBMB dams.

MAP
Power plants of Punjab
Himachal PradeshHaryanaRajasthanJammu & KashmirPakistanRaviBeasSutlejBathinda – first (closed)Ropar – 1,260 MWRajpura – 1,400 MWBanawala – 1,980 MWGoindwal – 540 MWRanjit Sagar – 600 MWMukerian hydelAnandpur Sahib hydel
Districts with coal (thermal) plantsDistricts with hydel projectsRivers
Pins mark the plant or the nearest town: Ropar = Guru Gobind Singh plant; Rajpura = Nabha Power; Banawala (Mansa district) = Talwandi Sabo Power, the largest; Goindwal Sahib = Guru Amardas plant; Ranjit Sagar Dam is on the Ravi. Lehra Mohabbat (Guru Hargobind plant, 920 MW) is also in Bathinda district, and the Anandpur Sahib hydel is in Rupnagar. Punjab has no nuclear power plant.
Map: geoBoundaries (ODbL; DataMeet CC BY 2.5 IN), Natural Earth rivers (public domain)
Thermal power plants in Punjab by capacity
Talwandi Sabo (Mansa)
1980 MW
Nabha Power (Rajpura)
1400 MW
Guru Gobind Singh (Ropar)
1260 MW
Guru Hargobind (Lehra Mohabbat)
920 MW
Guru Amardas (Goindwal)
540 MW
Guru Nanak Dev (Bathinda, closed)
440 MW
Installed capacity in megawatts (MW). The oldest plant, at Bathinda (1974), was the smallest; it was formally closed from 1 January 2018.
All power plants (table)Tap to open
Power plantTypePlaceCapacity
Guru Nanak Dev Thermal PlantThermal (PSPCL)Bathinda440 MW — the first (1974); stopped Sept 2017, formally closed 1 Jan 2018
Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal PlantThermal (PSPCL)Ghanauli, Rupnagar (Ropar)1,260 MW
Guru Hargobind Thermal PlantThermal (PSPCL)Lehra Mohabbat, Bathinda920 MW
Talwandi Sabo Power (Vedanta)Thermal, privateBanawala, Mansa1,980 MW — the largest
Nabha Power (L&T)Thermal, privateRajpura, Patiala1,400 MW
Guru Amardas Thermal PlantThermal (bought by PSPCL in 2024)Goindwal Sahib, Tarn Taran540 MW
Ranjit Sagar DamHydelRavi, Pathankot600 MW
Mukerian HydelHydelBeas (Shah Nehar), Hoshiarpur207 MW
Anandpur Sahib HydelHydelSutlej channel, Rupnagar134 MW
Shanan Power HouseHydelJoginder Nagar (HP), owned by Punjab110 MW (built 1932)
Dams and rivers in detail: Rivers, canals and dams of Punjab.
Power plants of Punjab
Two chimneys of a thermal power plant rising beyond trees at sunrise, Rupnagar
Guru Gobind Singh Super Thermal Plant, Ghanauli, Rupnagar (Ropar) — 1,260 MW coal-based plant of PSPCL
Yashmaanas, Wikimedia Commons · CC0
Four cooling towers of a power plant against the evening sky, beside a road
Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant, Bathinda — the first (1974); closed from 1 Jan 2018
MaplesyrupSushi, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
A large earthen dam wall holding back a reservoir among hills
Ranjit Sagar Dam on the Ravi, Pathankot — 600 MW hydel
Vikramaadityasumbria, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Image
  • Awan village, Amritsar: India's first megawatt-scale solar power plant (Azure Power, December 2009).
  • Sardargarh, Bathinda: 100 MW Adani solar plant — the largest in Punjab when it came up (2015–16).
  • Large solar parks are also in Fazilka and Sri Muktsar Sahib.
  • PEDA (Punjab Energy Development Agency, 1991) is the nodal agency for renewable energy.
  • There is no nuclear power plant in Punjab.
COMMON TRAPS
  • Main mineral = saltpetre. Coal, gold and iron are wrong options.
  • First solar plant = Awan (Amritsar). Bathinda has the big 100 MW plant, not the first one.
  • Oldest thermal plant = Bathinda (1974); largest = Talwandi Sabo (Mansa).
QUICK CHECK
Which is the major mineral found in Punjab?
Tap an option to answer
QUICK CHECK
India's first (megawatt-scale) solar power plant came up in which district of Punjab?
Tap an option to answer

Cooperatives and boards

Name → full form → job. Brand names are asked too.

MARKFED VS MILKFED VS SUGARFED
Markfed
Milkfed
Sugarfed
Set up
1954
1973
1972
Works in
Marketing: grain buying, fertiliser, food processing
Dairy (milk)
Cooperative sugar mills
Brand / key fact
Brand Sohna; Asia's largest co-op marketing federation
Brand Verka; first plant at Verka, Amritsar
Runs the co-op sugar mills
Do not mix these with PUNSUP (1974): it is a state corporation for civil supplies — grain procurement and the ration-shop system (PDS).
All corporations and boardsTap to open
BodyYearWhat it does
Markfed — Punjab State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation1954Asia's largest cooperative marketing federation; grain procurement, fertiliser, food processing; brand Sohna
Milkfed — Punjab State Cooperative Milk Producers' Federation1973Dairy; brand Verka (first plant at Verka village, Amritsar)
Sugarfed — Punjab State Federation of Cooperative Sugar Mills1972Runs the cooperative sugar mills
PUNSUP — Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation1974Grain procurement and the public distribution system (PDS)
PUNSEED1976Seeds
Punjab Mandi Board (State Agricultural Marketing Board)1961Runs the regulated mandis under the Punjab Agricultural Produce Markets Act 1961
Punjab State Warehousing Corporation1957Storage of grain
PSIEC — Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation1962Builds industrial estates (focal points)
PSIDC — Punjab State Industrial Development Corporation1966Industrial finance
PAIC — Punjab Agro Industries Corporation1966Agro-industry
PAFC — Punjab Agro Foodgrains Corporation—Nodal body for contract farming
PSPCL / PSTCL2010Power generation-distribution / transmission; took over from the Punjab State Electricity Board (1959)
PEDA1991Renewable energy
PRTC — Pepsu Road Transport Corporation—State bus service, headquartered at Patiala
PUDA1995Urban development
PIDB — Punjab Infrastructure Development Board1998Nodal agency for infrastructure; set up in 1998, now works under the Punjab Infrastructure (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002
Punjab & Sind Bank1908Founded at Amritsar by Bhai Vir Singh, Sir Sunder Singh Majithia and Sardar Tarlochan Singh; nationalised 1980; HQ now New Delhi
State schemes and other institutions: Punjab government schemes and institutions.
KEY TERM
Registrar of Cooperative Societies

The officer who registers a cooperative society and issues its registration certificate under the Punjab Co-operative Societies Act, 1961. The Registrar also approves the by-laws (the society's rules) and any change in them, and looks after audit, inquiries and winding up.

Members adopt by-laws→Registrar approves→Certificate issued
  • Punjab Co-operative Societies Act, 1961 — the key rules:
  • At least 10 persons to register a society
  • A member must be above 18 years
  • Registrar registers and gives the certificate
  • By-laws take effect only after the Registrar approves them
  • Every member votes in person — one member, one vote
THREE-TIER COOPERATIVE CREDIT
  1. State
    Punjab State Cooperative Bank
    Apex (top) bank at state level
  2. District
    District Central Cooperative Banks
    One level down, in the districts
  3. Village
    Primary Agricultural Credit Societies
    Lend to farmers in the village
NABARD refinances the cooperative banks — it gives them money to lend on.
REMEMBER

"10 – 18 – 1": 10 people to register, 18 years to be a member, 1 member = 1 vote, given in person.

COMMON TRAPS
  • The registration certificate is issued by the Registrar — not the Deputy Registrar, Assistant Registrar or a Secretary.
  • By-laws are approved by the Registrar, not by the general body alone.
  • Voting is in person — not by proxy and not through a nominee.
  • Minimum members = 10 (not 5, 8 or 15); minimum age = above 18 (not 21 or 25).
QUICK CHECK
Under the Punjab Co-operative Societies Act, the registration certificate is issued by:
Tap an option to answer
QUICK CHECK
Every member of a co-operative society shall exercise his vote in the affairs of the society:
Tap an option to answer

Roads, railways and post

NH (new no.)Route in and from Punjab
NH-3Starts at Attari → Amritsar → Jalandhar → Hoshiarpur → Himachal Pradesh → Leh
NH-7Starts at Fazilka (Punjab border) → runs to Mana in Uttarakhand
NH-44India's longest north–south highway (Srinagar–Kanyakumari); passes Jalandhar and Ludhiana in Punjab
NH-54Pathankot → Amritsar → Bathinda
Old NH-1, the Grand Trunk Road, ran Ambala–Ludhiana–Jalandhar–Amritsar–Attari. New numbers replaced the old ones in 2010.
  • Roads: Punjab ranks 1st in the country in road connectivity. Almost every village is linked by a metalled (pucca) road.
  • Railways: Punjab's first line was Amritsar–Lahore–Multan. Work began in 1859 — the same year construction of the Amritsar railway station began. The Amritsar–Lahore section opened in 1862.
  • Bathinda is Punjab's biggest railway junction. Attari is the last Indian station before Lahore.
  • Post: in 2021–22, one post office in Punjab served about 7,232 people on average.
Rail and road at the western border
Platform of Amritsar railway station with the station name board and benches
Amritsar railway station — its building work began in 1859
Julian Nyča, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
Crowded stands of the Attari–Wagah border arena
Attari–Wagah border — NH-3 begins at Attari
Schüler1000, Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Image
QUICK CHECK
Which town in Punjab is the starting point of National Highway 7 (NH-7)?
Tap an option to answer

Common traps

COMMON TRAPS
  • Ludhiana is the answer when a Punjab paper asks for the "Manchester of India" (better: Manchester of Punjab) — because of industrialisation, not PAU or population density. Not Jalandhar or Amritsar.
  • Sports goods = Jalandhar; steel = Mandi Gobindgarh; hosiery and cycles = Ludhiana.
  • Biggest grain market = Khanna, not Moga, Phagwara or Rayya.
  • Poverty (2011–12): rural 7.66%, urban 9.24% — urban is higher. 8.26% is the figure for all Punjab together.
  • Punjab has the highest tractor density — so "second largest tractor population" is the wrong statement.
  • Industry gives about one-third of jobs but only about one-fourth of GSVA.
  • Do not quote GSDP, per-capita income or excise targets as "current" — always add the year.
QUICK CHECK
Which of the following is the biggest grain market of Punjab?
Tap an option to answer

Quick revision

Read this the night before the exam.

21 one-line facts for the night beforeTap to open
QUICK BYTES
  • GSDP: ~₹8.9 lakh crore (2025–26 revised)
  • Per-capita income: ~₹2.3 lakh (2025–26); 1st in 1981
  • GSVA: agri ~25%, industry ~25%, services ~50%
  • Workforce in agriculture: ~25% (Economic Survey 2023–24)
  • Workforce in services: ~38% (PLFS 2020–21)
  • Industry: ~one-third of jobs
  • Largest own tax: State GST
  • Excise target 2025–26: ~₹11,020 crore
  • Poverty (2011–12): rural 7.66%, urban 9.24%
  • Road connectivity: Punjab 1st
  • Post office: ~7,232 people each (2021–22)
  • Manchester of Punjab ("of India" in exams): Ludhiana
  • Sports goods: Jalandhar
  • Steel rolling mills: Mandi Gobindgarh
  • Refinery: Bathinda (HMEL, 2012)
  • IMC: Rajpura
  • Cotton mill: Malout
  • Biggest grain market: Khanna
  • First MW solar plant: Awan, Amritsar (2009)
  • Main mineral: saltpetre
  • Co-op society: 10 persons, 18+ age, vote in person
CHECK YOURSELF

Why is Ludhiana called the Manchester of Punjab (or "of India" in exam papers), and what does Jalandhar make?

Show answer

Ludhiana is heavily industrialised — hosiery, woollens and bicycles — like Manchester in England. Jalandhar is famous for sports goods.

CHECK YOURSELF

Who registers a cooperative society in Punjab, and how many persons are needed?

Show answer

The Registrar of Cooperative Societies registers it and issues the certificate. At least 10 persons are needed, each above 18, and every member votes in person.

CHECK YOURSELF

Which Punjab industrial policies and acts date from 2009 and 2012?

Show answer

2009: Industrial Policy, Punjab SEZ Act and Agro-Industrial Policy. 2012: New and Renewable Sources of Energy (NRSE) Policy.