Birātnagar, town, southeastern Nepal, in the Terai, a low, fertile plain, north of Jogbani, India. The town is Nepal’s principal industrial and foreign trade centre; manufactures include jute, sugar, and cotton. The Birātnagar Jute Mills (1936) was Nepal’s first industrial endeavour and became one of the country’s largest single employers. A fish breeding and distribution centre has been established there with financial and technical assistance from the United States. The Kosi River project (hydroelectric) provides power for eastern Nepal. Pop. (2001) 166,674; (2011) 204,949.