Mandsaur is an important economy contributor of western Madhya Pradesh. It is famous for Opium production and is one of the major producer if Opium in India. It is also famous for slate pencil industry. The main economic contributor of the town are agriculture, tourism and industries. Robust transportation network with good road and railway connectivity contributes a lot in making a hub of economic activities in Madhya Pradesh.
Agrarian Economy in Mandsaur
The main source of income of the people of Mandsaur is agriculture. It is one of the main economic contributor of the town. The main crops grown here are opium, garlic, wheat, gram, soyabean etc. It is very important not only in India but around the world for its Opium production. It is one of the major producer if Opium in the country. Mandsaur and Neemuch combined are the 90% contributor of the Opium in India. People here also grow fruits like guavas, lemon, papayas etc. Tthe main source of irrigation in Mandsaur is ground water. Mandsaur have formed an administrative body called agriculture product markets. These markets help farmers get fair price for their goods.
Industrial Economy in Mandsaur
Another major economic contributor of the town is the industries located in and around the town. There are 7 industrial area allocated to the industries in and around
Mandsaur. A total of 60ha land is allocated for the industrial area in Mandsaur, but only 37 ha is utilized till now. These figures shows a possibility of further industrialization in Mandsaur. Slate pencil is one of the major industry of Mandsaur. The Slate pensil industry of Mandsaur is the largest in the country. There are also many large scale industries in Mandsaur. Various large scale industries in Mandsaur are starch factory, steel industry, sugar mill, spinning mill, cotton spin factory etc. Mandsaur is one of the major producer and exporter of Garlic. For the export of garlic flakes and powder, there are many agro based export units. A 1500 tons per day capacity soya plant is planned to be established here by Maharashtra Ambuja Exports Limited. Mandsaur region also falls under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial corridor. It falls under the Neemuch-Nayagaon industrial belt.
Small Scale Industries in Mandsaur
Slate pencil industry is one of the major small scale industry in
Mandsaur. In terms of slate reserve Mandsaur slate industry is the largest in the country. A total of 3868MT of slate reserve are present in the town as per the department of commerce and industry, MP. There are a total of around 100 – 125 slate pencil small scale industries in Mandsaur. A total of 6.15ha of area is allocated to slate pencil park for the promotion of this industry. The slate industry is located in the slate pencil park in Mandsaur and a number of nearby villages. The dust from this industry causes a disease called Silcosis. Because of this a separate slate pencil park spread over an area of 13.5ha is proposed to be set in the nearby villages of Mandsaur. Apart from slate pencil industry there are a number of other small scale industries in Mandsaur. These include oil mills, bangles, jaggery, mats manufacturing, incense, candlestick manufacturing etc.
Tourism Industry in Mandsaur
Tourism is another major economic contributor of the town. The tourism in
Mandsaur is promoted mainly because of lord Pashupatinath temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located on the banks of Shivna River. For a period of 15 days, Kartik Mela is organized in the month of October and November. This is celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm. People from around the world visit Mandsaur during this festivity season. A total of around 1,50,000 to 1,75,000 people come to Mandsaur during this time.
