Overview
Khanna is a city and municipal council in the Ludhiana district of the Indian state of Punjab. Located on the Grand Trunk Road between Ludhiana and Ambala, it is widely known for hosting one of the largest grain markets (mandis) in Asia. Khanna serves as the headquarters of Khanna tehsil and functions as an important commercial and agricultural hub in the Malwa region of Punjab.
Key facts
| Country | India |
|---|---|
| State | Punjab |
| District | Ludhiana |
| Region | Malwa |
| Civic body | Municipal Council, Khanna |
| Languages | Punjabi (official), Hindi, English |
| Known for | Grain market (Asia's largest by arrivals of wheat and paddy) |
Geography
Khanna lies on National Highway 44 (the upgraded Grand Trunk Road corridor), roughly between Ludhiana to the west and Sirhind/Fatehgarh Sahib to the east. The surrounding region forms part of the fertile alluvial plains of central Punjab, supporting intensive cultivation of wheat, paddy and other cereals. The city sits on the main Delhi–Amritsar railway line of Northern Railway.
Administration
Khanna is governed by the Municipal Council of Khanna and is the administrative seat of Khanna tehsil within Ludhiana district. The town also functions as a sub-divisional headquarters, with offices of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, the police, revenue, and agricultural marketing departments. For elections to the Punjab Legislative Assembly, Khanna constitutes its own assembly constituency.
Economy
Grain market
The Khanna grain market (anaj mandi) is the city's most prominent institution and is regularly cited as the largest grain market in Asia by arrivals during the wheat and paddy procurement seasons. Operated under the Punjab Mandi Board through the local market committee, it draws produce from a wide catchment of villages in Ludhiana and adjoining districts. Procurement is undertaken by central and state agencies including the Food Corporation of India, Pungrain, Markfed, Punsup and the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation.
Industry and trade
Beyond agriculture, the local economy includes rice shelling and flour milling, agro-processing units, light engineering, auto-component manufacturing, and trade in cycle parts and hosiery linked to the wider Ludhiana industrial belt. The Grand Trunk Road and the railway line make Khanna a logistics node for north-bound and south-bound freight.
Transport
- Road: Khanna is situated on NH 44 (formerly NH 1), connecting Delhi with Amritsar via Ambala and Ludhiana. State roads link the town to Samrala, Payal, Malerkotla and Sirhind.
- Rail: Khanna railway station lies on the Delhi–Kalka–Ludhiana–Amritsar trunk route and is served by numerous express, mail and passenger trains.
- Air: The nearest major airports are Sahnewal (Ludhiana) and Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport at Amritsar, with Chandigarh International Airport also within reach.
Education and institutions
The city has a number of government and private schools affiliated with the Punjab School Education Board and the Central Board of Secondary Education, along with degree colleges affiliated to Panjab University and other state universities. Civic and agricultural institutions such as the Market Committee, Krishi Vigyan Kendra outreach offices, and cooperative banks have a presence in or near the town.
Historical notes
Khanna's growth as a market town is closely tied to the development of the Grand Trunk Road and the colonial-era railway, which together turned it into a collection point for produce from the surrounding countryside. After the Green Revolution transformed Punjab's agriculture from the 1960s onward, the Khanna mandi expanded rapidly, becoming a benchmark centre for wheat and paddy procurement in northern India.
Significance
Khanna is significant in Punjab's economy as a barometer of the state's grain procurement system, and in regional geography as a key waypoint on the Delhi–Amritsar corridor. Its mandi is frequently referenced in policy discussions on minimum support prices, agricultural marketing reforms, and the functioning of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) system.