District Jalaun is one of the important districts of Jhansi Mandal which comes under Bundelkhand Region Jalaun district comes under the Jhansi Division.

The district is divided into 5 tehsils namely, Orai, Jalaun, Konch, Madhogarh & Kalpi. Tehsils are further 5 subdivided by 9 development blocks Rampura, Kuthond, Madhogarh, Konch, Jalaun, Nadigaon, Dakore, Mahewa and Kadaura comprising 81 Nyay Panchayat which covers 1151 Gram Sabhas with 937 revenue villages. The district administration Headquarters is Orai.

The district Jalaun is situated in North Part at 260 8’45.11” N & 790 19’46.76” E. The district headquarter Orai is 120 Kms. from Kanpur and 110 Kms. from Jhansi. In North-East, It is surrounded by Etawah & Kanpur Dehat and in east south by Hamirpur, in the western side there is Pahuj River and accross the Pahuj District Bhind (Madhya Pradesh) is situated. Hence Jalaun is spread from east to west 93 Km. and north to south 68 Km. and in length & width and total geographical area of district Jalaun is 4569 Sq. Kms.

The total forest covered area of Jalaun is 25693.35 Hectare and out of the total area of district, approx. 4569 sq. km. the forest availability of Jalaun district is of evergreen forest. Sesamum, Urd, Sorghum, Bajra, Pigeon pea and Moong in Kharif and wheat, gram, field pea, Lentil & toria and mustard in Rabi are the major crops whereas the Neem, Mango, Mauha, Saal, Sagaun, Babool, Kher, Kail are main trees of Jalaun district. In its North-East Border River Yamuna is flowing and in western Side many other rivers are flowing. Because of the deep depth of the rivers nearby 4.4 Km. area has covered by dense forest. Some part of the district is hilly.

Jalaun district has total population of 1,689,974 as per the Census 2011. Out of which 906,092 are males while 783,882 are females. In 2011, there were total 288,338 families residing in Jalaun district. The Average Sex Ratio of Jalaun district is 865.
As per Census 2011 out of total population, 24.8% people lives in Urban areas while 75.2% lives in the Rural areas. The average literacy rate in urban areas is 77.6% while that in the rural areas is 72.4%. The total literacy rate of Jalaun district is 73.75%. The male literacy rate is 72.12% and the female literacy rate is 53.8% in Jalaun district.

Jalaun's economy has historically been based primarily on agriculture. Sesamum, Urd, Sorghum, Bajra, Pigeon pea and Moong in Kharif and wheat, gram, field pea, Lentil and mustard in Rabi are the major crops. Jalaun is one of largest producing mentha leaves and its product ‘Mentha Oil’ districts in Uttar Pradesh. The mentha oil extraction and distillery units (500 units ) can be viewed as village-based micro-units set up; typically having two or three units in a village and being operated by a local operator. Jalaun is the one of largest producer of the mentha leaves and oils across Uttar Pradesh.

Secondly, a large tract of Tehsil Konch, Jalaun, Orai and Madhogarh have seen green peas-based processing units (47 Seed Processing Units ) dotted with similar industries developed. Also, green peas based frozen industry units (~25) and chain of ware housing cold storages have their footholds in Orai, Konch and Jalaun. Additionally, Over the period, industrial development in Jalaun has gained momentum in the set-up of variety of industrial units, simultaneously the policy has also created a conducive and friendly environment. The district has around 6621 units that employ around 26980 individuals. The key enterprises of the district include Paper & Paper Product industries, Transport Services, Food processing activities, Cotton and textiles units, IT and Electrical Machinery and Parts activity, Telecommunication Services and animal production, hunting and related service activities.

Sector wise units & employments of Jalaun district

The most prominent MSME sectors in the district are Handmade paper Art, Food products, Hosiery & Garments, Wood/Wooden based furniture, Repair & Service Industry The following are the prominent type of industries in the district :

In the list, the dataset of exportable items along with values provided by the DGFT, GoI, the wheat is the product that has registered as major product along with others to various overseas countries. In the period of 12 months between Apr’ 2021-Mar’ 22, the value of ‘wheat’ exports from district Jalaun stands around INR 4.55 Cr. (~75%) of the total exportable products.

During period of 12 months i.e. Apr’ 21 to Mar’ 22 total export values from district Jalaun has registered approx. INR 5.95 Cr. Top five (5) items i.e. Wheat, Vegetable frozen, Mix vegetable frozen and Shelled/unshelled Peas contributes respectively around 75.60%, 6.94%, 2.52%, 4.48% respectively of cumulative export value.

Before independence, the city Kalpi was among few centers in the country where the art of creating paper from waste material was popular.

Before independence, the city Kalpi was among few centers in the country where the art of creating paper from waste material was popular. Many entrepreneurs as well as the local artisans are engaged in manufacturing and supplying a superior collection of Handmade Paper in Kalpi. The craft of making handmade paper from wastepaper and cloth strings is prominent even today in Kalpi. The produced paper from the waste is used to make a variety of products. Jalaun is known for its specialization in providing Handmade Paper with different designs and patterns in different thicknesses and sizes which are suitable for a variety of decorative purpose. The figure alongside depicts key facts pertaining to the district.

Handmade paper production has low capital investment, thereby promoting local entrepreneurship, it generates local employment opportunities; it is an environmentally sound technology, depleting less resources and causing less pollution than paper mill factories; and it can produce certain specialized varieties of paper, for example, watermark, filter paper and drawing sheets, etc. The cost difference between handmade paper and mill made paper is marginal. The concern about the disappearance of forests, coupled with renewed interest in the quality of papers generated new study of the paper maker's materials, especially the pulps and fibers.
Handmade paper is used for office stationery, writing pads, conference folders, computer printouts, drawing and documentation sheets, certificate and degree awards, for making fancy products and diaries, for making photo frames, paper bag and variety of other decorative and show case products.

The following are the key stakeholders:
► Artisans
► Units and unitholders
► District Industries Centre (DIC), Orai
► Commercial banks and financial institutes
► KVIB at Orai
► NRLM at Orai

The Indian recycling industry needs nearly 14 million tons of wastepaper to meet current demands. Domestic recycling only produces 30% of that amount, and recycling levels are only half the global average. So, the demand for wastepaper from abroad is likely to remain strong. One estimate shows that in India only about 20% of wastepaper is being currently recycled annually which is very low in comparison to 73% in Germany, 69% in Sweden, 60% in Japan, 49% in USA and 45% in Italy. The figure alongside depicts key facts pertaining to the export of the product: ;

The countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines have already emerged as “Handmade paper giants”. There has been phenomenal growth in the export market for Indian handmade paper and its products especially in developed countries like USA, German, Europe, Australia etc.8 The following figure is the list of importers for this product in the world with the value of imports and average growth between 2016-2020:
The potential markets for India and the cluster to tap have been identified as follows based on Signed FTAs, High Growth Markets, Untapped Potential the countries which India is exporting but UP isn’t. Thus, the following countries should be targeted to increase the sales and turnover of the cluster

Product diversification plays a vital role in any product’s exports as it is a product uplifting strategy. Most artisans aren’t bothered about changing their product range and they fail to understand that it is an integral part of comprehensive marketing. Diversification can be brought in the cluster by:
1. The Handmade cluster of Jalaun can tie-up with the Leather cluster of Agra for supplying the later with in-soles. 2. The cluster actors can also envisage a tie-up with the hospitality industry for supply of use-and- throw products.

Konch, Jalaun and Nadigaon are the blocks of Jalaun district wherein approx. 11,000 farmers are engaged into cultivation of Mint crop (Japanese mint-Mentha - arvensis) popularly known as Mentha leaves.

Konch, Jalaun and Nadigaon are the blocks of Jalaun district wherein approx. 11,000 farmers are engaged into cultivation of Mint crop (Japanese mint-Mentha - arvensis) popularly known as Mentha leaves. More than 15,000 hectares of agricultural land is covered under plantation and cultivated for mentha leaves which used as primary material for Mentha oil extraction.
The river beds of few villages namely Maheva and kurthound is practising cultivation of mentha due to ample supply of water and favourable soil texture. Mentha is cultivated during the intermediate period between rabi and kharif seasons. It is normally sown around March-April and gets ready for harvest in June-July. There are 2 to 3 micro units (~Over 500 extraction units) set up at majority villages in above blocks invoved into processing of metha oil from mentha leaves. The end product ‘Mentha oil’ is used as an industrial input in the manufacturing of toothpaste, mouth freshener, medicines, drinks, mouth-wash, chewing gum, desserts and confectionery products. Mint leaves are used in beverages, jellies and syrups. Farmers practise the crop rotation system in existing farming system of fellow-vegetable pea-mentha. Pea – Mentha are usually paired by the farmer under crop rotation system for mentha cultivation. The figure alongside depicts key facts pertaining to the district.

Mentha Citrata (Eau de Cologne mint), Mentha Arvensis and Mentha Piperita are the most common menthe species. Mentha Citrate is widely used in Perfumery, Mentha Arvensis is used as a flavoring agent, cough medicines, cigarettes and drinks and Mentha Piperita is used in medicines and culinary products. Although the genus Mentha comprises more than 25 species, the one in most common use is peppermint used as a natural pesticide and Mentha (Mentha Arvensis) for producing Mentha oil.

Mentha oil is an essential oil extracted from the leaves of Mentha or mint herb. Mentha oil is used in medicines, ingredient of many cosmetic products and perfumes. It is also an important component of aroma therapy, unani and ayurvedic medicines. Moreover, it is also used as insect repellents.;

► Japanese mint (Mentha arvensisvar piperascense) is cultivated in India mainly in the state of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. Uttar Pradesh state contributes around 80% of the total Mentha production in the country. Within UP, districts like Badaun, Moradabad, Sitapur, Rampur and Barabanki and Jalaun are the leading Mentha producers. Remaining comes from smaller areas from the state of Punjab, Rajasthan etc.
► Mint or Mentha (Mentha arvensis) are aromatic herbs belonging to the genus Mentha and the family Lamiaceae. Most species are perennials with leafy runners, or underground rootstocks. Mentha species are cultivated in various parts of the world. It grows wild in Europe while it is cultivated in Japan, England, France, Italy, the USA, Bulgaria, Russia, and India. Mentha Citrata (Eau de Cologne mint), Mentha Arvensis and Mentha Piperita are the most common menthe species.
► Mentha Citrate is widely used in Perfumery, Mentha Arvensis is used as a flavoring agent, cough medicines, cigarettes, and drinks and Mentha Piperita is used in in medicines and culinary products. Although the genus Mentha comprises more than 25 species, the one in most common use is peppermint used as a natural pesticide and Mentha (Mentha Arvensis) for producing Mentha oil. Indian production of Arvensis rose rapidly from the start of the 2000’s. India is the highest producer and exporter of Mentha oil and its derivatives in the world. The other major producers are China, Brazil, the US, and Japan. During the last five years, India has exported nearly 15,00 tonnes to 20,000 tonnes of Mentha oil and its derivatives each year. This sector has come to occupy an important place in terms of its contribution to national output, employment, and exports. Demand for mint and mint products is expected to continue to rise. It is estimated that global demand continues to increase by 3-5% a year. In this scale of market, this is a substantial additional volume that is required by the market each year and creates significant opportunities for new entrants.

► Farmers (Growers)
► Seed suppliers
► Financial institutions
► DIEPC
► KVK
► Agriculture department
► Traders & exporters

Mentha Arvensis ((Japanese mint) is a downy, perennial herb, spreading by rootstocks with creep along the ground or just under the surface and root at the nodes. There are three horticultural varieties in this species.
►Varieties
► MAS-1 (Content -80-85%, Yield -125 kg oil / hac) Shivalik (Content -70%, Yield -180 kg oil / hac, herbage yield is 300q/ha)
► Himalaya- (Content - 80%, Yield -250 kg oil / hac, herbage is 400q/ha) Kalka (HY-77)- (Content - 80%, Yield -150 kg oil / hac yields about 250 q/ha of herbage Hybrid 77- produces 762q/ha of fresh herb, 468 kg oil/ha containing 81.5% menthol (obtained from 3 cuts)
►Botanical Name Mentha Arvensis

Mentha Piperita spreads by a system of branching, underground rootstocks and grows to a height of 45 to 90 cm (l.5 to 3 ft)
►Varieties
► Mentha piperita
► Chocolate Mint (Mentha Piperita f. citrate)
►Botanical Name Mentha Pipereta

The products are majorly exported from India under the following codes:

The products are majorly exported from India under the following codes:;

The following section entails the export details under the product code 290611 and other series. Alongside are the key stats pertaining to the exports under this code. India’s exports represent 38.7% of world exports for this product, its ranking in world exports is 1. India primarily exports to China, USA, Singapore, Netherlands, Japan, France etc., The mentha oil producing perennial herbs are distributed mostly in the Northern hemisphere. In India, it is largely confined to North India in the States of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana as mentioned above. The below figure shows the key importers of this product for the above-mentioned HS code: 16
The potential markets for India and the cluster to tap have been identified as follows based on Signed FTAs, High Growth Markets, Untapped Potential the countries which India is exporting but UP isn’t. Thus, the following countries should be targeted to increase the sales and turnover of the cluster:

Mentha Citrata grows up to 30-60 cm height, with decumbent branches and erect ends. The leaves are 1.25-5.0 cm long, thin, bronzy-green, petiolate: smooth. Mentha citrata is a hybrid between Mentha aquatica and Mentha Viridis.
► Varieties Kiran-The variety produces 239 kg of oil with 48% linalool, over 172 kg and 39% linalool over parent cultures.
►Mentha citrate

Spearmint, also known as garden mint, common mint, lamb mint and mackerel mint, is a species of mint, Mentha spicata, native to Europe and southern temperate Asia, extending from Ireland in the west to southern China in the east.
►Varieties MSS-1- produces fresh herbage of 535q/ha and yield 253 kg of oil in 3 cuttings containing 60% carvone MSS-5- It is a selection from MSS-1, which yields 690q/ha of oil in 3 cuttings. It has 70% of carvone in the oil. Punjab Spearmint-1- It is an erect growing variety producing 209 q/ha of herb containing 0.57% oil. The oil yields 119.29 litres/ha containing 68% carvone
►Botanical Name Mentha Spicata

The cluster can focus on manufacturing cosmetics with mint for instance- toothpaste, mouthwash, shaving creams, shampoos etc., along with chewing gums, household cleaning products etc.

Apple mint often has lighter green leaves than do many mints. It has white or light pink blooms. The leaves can be either oblong or ovate. Functioning equally well as a culinary herb (flavour teas with it, for example) and as a ground cover, its common name derives from its smell and taste, both of which are fruity and minty.
► Varieties NA
►Botanical Name Mentha suaveolens