Processing .....please wait.. 
The article has been forwarded.... 
Bihar town earns millions from ayurvedic drugs
Tuesday, 11 March 2003, 20:30 IST
PATNA: A tiny enclave in the largely impoverished state of Bihar has been raking in millions of rupees by manufacturing and selling ayurvedic medicines.
Bihar's per capita income is 
3,859, the lowest in the country. Forty-two percent of the state's population of 86 million lives below the poverty line - which means they struggle for two square meals a day.
But Katarisarai in Nalanda district, 130 km from here, has bucked this trend. It has become a hub for the production of ayurvedic medicine. And the residents are prospering thanks to this booming business.
"Over the years, manufacturing ayurvedic medicines has become a cottage industry here," Ganesh Shankar Prasad, a resident of Katarisarai, told IANS.
"The people have toiled hard to reach this stage," added Prasad, who owns one of the 83 manufacturing units.
The man who runs the post office in Katarisarai estimates medicines worth 1.5 million for treating diseases like leukoderma, gastro-enteritis, diabetes and a host of other chronic ailments is despatched every month. The post office itself earns 4 million annually.
Not surprisingly, apart from the post office, Katarisarai even boasts a branch of a state-owned bank and shops selling branded products ranging from cold drinks to chocolates. These facilities would be considered a luxury in most parts of the state.
The Katarisarai branch of the Punjab National Bank has 10,000 account holders and deposits of 120 million.
Though only 10 of the 83 manufacturing units are registered, all of them are equipped with modern implements, not to mention telephones and fax machines, a rarity in most parts of Bihar.
Advertising plays a major role in generating business for Katarisarai's manufacturers.
"We spend a lot of money on advertising, as it is the best way to spread our network," said one owner.
For their raw material, the manufacturers rely on herbs and other plants collected from the hills of Rajgir, a Buddhist pilgrim centre in Nalanda district, and from Bodh Gaya in Gaya district where the Buddha attained enlightenment 2,500 years ago.
"We get raw materials at throwaway prices and thus make big profits," admitted the owner of another unit.
While a number of patients visit Katarisarai to purchase medicines, hundreds of orders come from all over India through post and fax.
Some manufacturers said they even get orders from neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan as also from Gulf countries like Oman and Qatar.
Source: IANS
3,859, the lowest in the country. Forty-two percent of the state's population of 86 million lives below the poverty line - which means they struggle for two square meals a day.
But Katarisarai in Nalanda district, 130 km from here, has bucked this trend. It has become a hub for the production of ayurvedic medicine. And the residents are prospering thanks to this booming business.
"Over the years, manufacturing ayurvedic medicines has become a cottage industry here," Ganesh Shankar Prasad, a resident of Katarisarai, told IANS.
"The people have toiled hard to reach this stage," added Prasad, who owns one of the 83 manufacturing units.
The man who runs the post office in Katarisarai estimates medicines worth 1.5 million for treating diseases like leukoderma, gastro-enteritis, diabetes and a host of other chronic ailments is despatched every month. The post office itself earns 4 million annually.
Not surprisingly, apart from the post office, Katarisarai even boasts a branch of a state-owned bank and shops selling branded products ranging from cold drinks to chocolates. These facilities would be considered a luxury in most parts of the state.
The Katarisarai branch of the Punjab National Bank has 10,000 account holders and deposits of 120 million.
Though only 10 of the 83 manufacturing units are registered, all of them are equipped with modern implements, not to mention telephones and fax machines, a rarity in most parts of Bihar.
Advertising plays a major role in generating business for Katarisarai's manufacturers.
"We spend a lot of money on advertising, as it is the best way to spread our network," said one owner.
For their raw material, the manufacturers rely on herbs and other plants collected from the hills of Rajgir, a Buddhist pilgrim centre in Nalanda district, and from Bodh Gaya in Gaya district where the Buddha attained enlightenment 2,500 years ago.
"We get raw materials at throwaway prices and thus make big profits," admitted the owner of another unit.
While a number of patients visit Katarisarai to purchase medicines, hundreds of orders come from all over India through post and fax.
Some manufacturers said they even get orders from neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan as also from Gulf countries like Oman and Qatar.
Source: IANS