Nikhil Kamath’s post on ’Bihar’s black diamond’ grabs eyeballs as FM Nirmala Sitharaman announces Makhana Board

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed the formation of a Makhana Board in Bihar during her Budget speech on Saturday. This will come with ₹100 crore outlay and a research ecosystem mission focusing on climate-resilient seeds received equal allocations. The announcement comes mere days after Indian entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath highlighted the opportunity presented by the growing global demand for makhana.

"Maybe room here to build a really large brand, an Indian brand that sells to the world. Personally, I'm hooked on Makhana," he wrote on X two weeks ago.

Infographics shared by the entrepreneur also highlighted the manner in which makhana from India was fast ‘becoming a superfood for the world’. Kamath also outlined the growing demand for the snack and the start-ups that have emerged in recent years amid growing demand.

The Zerodha co-founder also noted that makhana was the 'black diamond' of Bihar — with 90% of the global production taking place in the state.

Makhana or foxnuts is a nutritious food that is widely produced and consumed in Bihar. Producers have benefitted greatly under the under One District One Product scheme amid growing demand for the healthy snack. The Makhana Research Center has been given the status of a national institution, with Makhanas having also received a GI tag.

What did Nirmala Sitharaman say?

“A Makhana Board will be established in the state to improve production, processing, value addition, and marketing of makhana. The people engaged in these activities will be organized into FPOs. The Board will provide handholding and training support to makhana farmers and will also work to ensure they receive the benefits of all relevant Government schemes,” she proposed in the Lok Sabha.

Bihar in focus

Poll-bound Bihar found multiple mentions in the Union Budget — prompting criticism from the Opposition. Sitharaman has also announced plans to set up a National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management in the state as well as build greenfield airports.

(With inputs from agencies)