The first five‐year plan introduced in Gandaki province after the formation of provinces post‐ federalism, listed industry alongside agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, good governance, energy, 1 and human resources as the major drivers of progress in the province . The periodic plan was in line th with the 15 National Periodic Plan whose strategies included, achieving rapid, sustainable, and employment‐oriented economic growth and increasing production and productivity. The second five‐year plan of the province has connected these drivers to the market economy and has advocated for sustainable environment‐friendly growth supported by strengthened governance, 2 interdepartmental coordination, informed decision‐making, and balanced infrastructure growth . A key focus of the province in the second five‐year plan is self‐sufficiency. This the province aims to achieve through investment in productive industries besides tourism, agriculture, human capital, and information technology.