Meet Asia’s richest village: Not in China or Japan, it’s in our own country India

When we think of a village, the images of muddy roads, handpumps, bullock carts, clay houses without electricity, and agricultural labourers working in fields come to our mind, but hold on.

Villages across the nation are also marching towards prosperity thanks to the government's development schemes. The richest village in Asia is not in China, Japan, or South Korea; it's in our own country. A village in Gujarat’s Bhuj will change your perception of Indian villages forever.

Madhapur—dubbed as Asia's richest village—is on the outskirts of Bhuj in Gujarat. It has a population of around 32,000 people, and this population boasts of holding fixed deposits worth ₹7,000 crore. The village's prosperity is attributed to its 65% NRI (non-resident Indian) population, who deposit crores of rupees every year in local banks and post offices, which they receive from family members as remittances.

Madhapur, with approximately 20,000 houses, is a village of the Patel community. Think of any major public and private bank, and you will find its branch here. The village boasts of 17 banks, including HDFC Bank, SBI, PNB, Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, and Union Bank. Several other public and private banks are interested in opening their branches in this village.

You will be surprised to know that the significant deposits are primarily from NRI families who live in African countries where they dominate the construction business. Many residents also reside in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Despite living abroad, these people are still connected to their roots and bring holistic changes to their village.

"Though many villagers live and work abroad, they remain attached to their village and prefer parking their money in the banks here rather than where they live," Economic Times quoted Parulben Kara, former president of the District Panchayat as saying.

"The huge deposits have made it prosperous. It has all the basic facilities like water, sanitation, and roads. There are bungalows, both public and private schools, lakes, and temples," a branch manager of a nationalized bank in the village said.

Madhapur has almost 20,000 houses, with approximately 1,200 families living abroad. The continuous inflow of remittances has enabled them to develop schools, colleges, health centres, dams, temples, and lakes in the village. They have also established the Madhapur Village Association in London, intending to connect themselves and improve the image of their village abroad.