State Economy at a Glance
Chhattisgarh's economy for CGPSC: GSDP, growth and per capita income from the Economic Survey 2025-26, sector shares, growth engines and Vision @2047.
Prerequisites
- Basic Concepts of the Economy: GDP vs GVA, current vs constant prices, per capita income
- Minerals, Energy and Industry of Chhattisgarh: the coal, iron ore, steel and power base behind the industry share
- Agriculture and Irrigation in Chhattisgarh: the paddy economy that employs most of the workforce
The Hook: A Rice Bowl That Runs on Steel
Drive from Raipur to Bhilai and you pass paddy fields on one side and the chimneys of the Bhilai Steel Plant on the other. Go north to Korba and the horizon is power-station cooling towers and open-cast coal mines. Go south to Dantewada and the Bailadila hills are being mined for iron ore.
Chhattisgarh is famous as the “rice bowl” (धान का कटोरा), but most of its income does not come from rice. So how big is the state economy, which sector really drives it, and what does that mean for the people who live here?
Why it matters: Prelims asks the headline numbers of the latest Economic Survey (आर्थिक सर्वेक्षण): growth rate, per capita income and sector shares. Mains GS-III asks you to analyse the structure: why industry dominates, why most people still depend on farming, and what that gap means.
The Headline Numbers (Economic Survey 2025-26)
The state’s Economic Survey is tabled in the Vidhan Sabha by the Finance Minister just before the budget. The 2025-26 Survey was tabled in February 2026. Its figures for 2025-26 are advance estimates, which are revised in later years.
| Indicator | 2025-26 (advance estimate) |
|---|---|
| Nominal GSDP (current prices) | About ₹6.31 lakh crore, growth 11.57% |
| Real GSDP (constant 2011-12 prices) | ₹3,58,293 crore, growth 8.11% |
| Per capita income (current prices) | ₹1,79,244, up 10.07% from ₹1,62,848 |
Sector Shares in GSDP
| Sector | Share in GSDP, 2025-26 (current prices) | Expected real growth, 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture and allied (कृषि एवं संबद्ध) | 20.64% | 7.49% |
| Industry (उद्योग: mining, manufacturing, electricity, construction) | 46.59% | 7.21% |
| Services (सेवा) | 32.77% | 9.11% (fastest) |
Two things stand out:
- Industry is the largest sector, close to half the economy. At the national level, services are the largest sector. Chhattisgarh’s structure is the reverse because of mining, steel, cement and thermal power.
- Services are the fastest-growing sector in 2025-26, even though they are not the largest.
pie showData
title Chhattisgarh GSDP by sector, 2025-26 (current prices, %)
"Industry" : 46.59
"Services" : 32.77
"Agriculture and allied" : 20.64What Drives the Economy
| Engine | Where | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | Korba, Raigarh, Surguja region | Feeds thermal power plants in and outside the state; a large source of mineral royalty |
| Iron ore and steel | Bailadila (Dantewada), Dalli-Rajhara (Balod); Bhilai Steel Plant (Durg) | Bhilai is a public-sector integrated steel plant built with Soviet help in the 1950s |
| Power | Korba (“power capital”), other thermal plants | The state generates more electricity than it consumes and supplies other states |
| Cement and limestone | Raipur-Baloda Bazar belt | A cluster of large cement plants on limestone deposits |
| Paddy | Plains of Raipur, Durg and Bilaspur divisions | The main kharif crop; state procurement at ₹3,100 per quintal sustains rural incomes |
| Forests | About two-fifths of the state’s area | Tendu leaves, sal seeds, mahua and other minor forest produce support tribal households |
For mineral and industry details see Minerals, Energy and Industry. For minor forest produce see Minor Forest Produce.
Analysis: The Paradox of a Rich-Resource State (Mains material)
Strengths
- Resource base: large reserves of coal, iron ore, bauxite and limestone, plus forests and abundant power.
- Growth above the national average: the Survey projects 8.11% real growth for 2025-26.
- Rising capital spending: the state budgets a high share of capital expenditure (see State Budget Basics).
- Rice surplus: a decentralised procurement system makes the state a supplier of rice to the central pool.
Weaknesses and risks
- Dependence on minerals: revenue and growth swing with commodity prices, royalty rules and mining approvals.
- Mono-crop agriculture: paddy dominates kharif; irrigation is limited, so farm output depends on the monsoon.
- Regional imbalance: the central plains are more developed than Bastar in the south and Surguja in the north.
- Environment and displacement: mining and power projects bring forest loss, pollution and land conflicts in tribal areas (see Tribes of Chhattisgarh).
- Jobs: capital-intensive industry creates few jobs for the output it generates.
Vision @2047
On 1 November 2024, the state’s foundation day, the government released a vision document, “Amritkaal: Chhattisgarh Vision @2047”, now also referred to as “Chhattisgarh Anjor Vision @2047” (अंजोर विज़न, anjor means “light” in Chhattisgarhi).
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Aim | Move the state from “developing” to “developed” by 2047, the centenary of Independence |
| Long-term target | GSDP of about ₹75 lakh crore by 2047 (as reported at release) |
| Phasing | Short-term goals to 2030, medium-term to 2035, long-term to 2047 |
| Approach | Missions across sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, IT, tourism and education |
Memory Tricks
- 8.11% real, 11.57% nominal: “8 is real, 11 is inflated”
- Per capita income ₹1.79 lakh: “one-seven-nine, like a cricket score”
- Industry 46.59%, services 32.77%, agriculture 20.64%: the order is I-S-A ("I See A steel state")
Don’t Confuse
| This | vs | That |
|---|---|---|
| Largest sector by share: Industry (46.59%) | Fastest-growing sector in 2025-26: Services (9.11%) | |
| Real GSDP growth 8.11% (constant 2011-12 prices) | Nominal GSDP growth 11.57% (current prices) | |
| Economic Survey: review of the past year, tabled before the budget | Budget: estimates of receipts and expenditure for the coming year | |
| Per capita income (NSDP divided by population) | Per capita GSDP (a different, larger figure) | |
| “Rice bowl” (popular title) | Largest share of GSDP is industry, not agriculture |
Common Mistakes
Practice
These are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.
Level 1: Foundation
- According to the Economic Survey 2025-26, Chhattisgarh’s real GSDP is expected to grow by ________% in 2025-26.
- The largest sector in Chhattisgarh’s GSDP (2025-26, current prices) is ________.
- The long-term GSDP target in the state’s Vision @2047 document is about ₹________ lakh crore.
Answers
- 8.11
- Industry (46.59%)
- 75
Level 2: Prelims MCQs
Q1. Consider the following statements about Chhattisgarh’s economy as per the Economic Survey 2025-26:
- The industry sector has the largest share in GSDP at current prices.
- The services sector is expected to grow faster than the other two sectors in 2025-26.
- Agriculture and allied activities account for more than one-third of GSDP.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer and explanation
Q2. Per capita income of Chhattisgarh for 2025-26, as estimated in the Economic Survey 2025-26, is closest to:
(a) ₹1,24,000 (b) ₹1,47,000 (c) ₹1,79,000 (d) ₹2,15,000
Answer and explanation
Q3. Match List-I (Economic activity) with List-II (Associated place in Chhattisgarh):
| List-I | List-II |
|---|---|
| A. Integrated public-sector steel plant | 1. Bailadila |
| B. Iron ore mining | 2. Korba |
| C. Thermal power hub | 3. Bhilai |
| D. Cement on limestone deposits | 4. Baloda Bazar belt |
(a) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4 (b) A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4 (c) A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4 (d) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2
Answer and explanation
Q4. The vision document “Amritkaal: Chhattisgarh Vision @2047” was released on:
(a) 26 January 2024 (b) 15 August 2024 (c) 1 November 2024 (d) 1 November 2025
Answer and explanation
Q5. Real GSDP growth differs from nominal GSDP growth because real growth:
(a) excludes the mining sector (b) is measured at constant base-year prices (c) excludes taxes on products (d) is calculated per head of population
Answer and explanation
Level 3: Mains Answer Writing
Q1. “Chhattisgarh is a rich state with poor people.” Examine this statement with reference to the structure of the state economy. (150–200 words)
Intro: Chhattisgarh has some of India’s richest mineral and forest resources and is projected to grow at 8.11% in real terms in 2025-26 (Economic Survey 2025-26), yet large sections of its people, especially in tribal regions, remain poor.
Body:
- Structure: industry contributes about 46.6% of GSDP, mostly mining, steel, power and cement, which are capital-intensive.
- Employment gap: agriculture gives only about one-fifth of GSDP but employs most rural households, so income per worker is low.
- Regional imbalance: mineral wealth lies in Bastar, Dantewada, Korba and Surguja, but development indicators there lag the central plains.
- Leakage of benefits: profits and much of the value addition flow outside the region; local communities bear displacement and environmental costs.
- State response: paddy procurement at ₹3,100 per quintal, cash transfers to women, District Mineral Foundation funds and near-universal PDS.
Conclusion: The statement holds partly. Turning resource wealth into broad-based prosperity needs value addition within the state, labour-intensive industry, irrigation and crop diversification, and stronger tribal participation in decisions about mining.
Q2. Discuss the opportunities and risks of an economy dependent on minerals, with reference to Chhattisgarh. (250 words)
Intro: Industry, led by mining and mineral-based manufacturing, is the largest sector of the Chhattisgarh economy (46.59% of GSDP in 2025-26).
Opportunities: royalty and tax revenue for welfare; base for steel, power and cement; logistics and ancillary industry; DMF funds for mining districts; scope for value addition (steel to engineering goods).
Risks: commodity price swings hit revenue; non-renewable resources; forest loss, pollution and displacement of tribal communities; Fifth Schedule and PESA concerns over consent; limited job creation; Left-Wing Extremism in mineral-rich south Bastar.
Way forward: diversify into services, food processing and forest-based value chains; enforce environmental safeguards and gram sabha consent; invest mineral revenue in human capital; follow the sectoral missions of Vision @2047.
Conclusion: Minerals are an asset only if their revenue builds lasting human and physical capital for the people of the mining regions.
Quick Revision Table
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Economic Survey 2025-26 | Tabled February 2026, before the 2026-27 budget |
| Nominal GSDP 2025-26 (AE) | About ₹6.31 lakh crore, +11.57% |
| Real GSDP 2025-26 (AE) | ₹3,58,293 crore at 2011-12 prices, +8.11% |
| Per capita income 2025-26 | ₹1,79,244, +10.07% (from ₹1,62,848) |
| Sector shares (current prices) | Agriculture 20.64%, Industry 46.59%, Services 32.77% |
| Sector growth (real) | Agriculture 7.49%, Industry 7.21%, Services 9.11% |
| Growth engines | Coal (Korba), iron ore (Bailadila, Dalli-Rajhara), steel (Bhilai), power (Korba), cement, paddy, forests |
| Vision document | “Amritkaal: Chhattisgarh Vision @2047”, released 1 November 2024; target about ₹75 lakh crore GSDP by 2047 |
Key Takeaways
- Economic Survey 2025-26: real growth 8.11%, nominal 11.57%, per capita income ₹1,79,244.
- Industry (46.59%) is the largest sector; services (9.11%) grow fastest; agriculture is about one-fifth of GSDP but the main source of livelihood.
- The economy rests on coal, iron ore, steel, power, cement, paddy and forests.
- The big Mains theme is the gap between resource wealth and people’s incomes, especially in tribal regions.
- Vision @2047 (released 1 November 2024) targets about ₹75 lakh crore GSDP by 2047, phased to 2030, 2035 and 2047.
What’s Next
- State Budget Basics: how the state raises and spends its money
- Flagship Welfare Schemes: where much of that money goes
- Population of Chhattisgarh: the people behind the per capita figures
- Poverty and Employment: the national picture to compare with