Daijiworld Media Network – Patna
Patna, Dec 7: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday rolled out an ambitious five-year industrial expansion blueprint aimed at attracting Rs 50 lakh crore in investments and positioning Bihar as a major industrial hub in eastern India.
The roadmap, titled ‘Bihar Industrial Sankalp’, was presented during a high-level review meeting at the CM’s residence, where Chief Secretary Pratyay Amrit outlined plans for new manufacturing clusters, sector-specific parks and expanded skill development initiatives. Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary, Industries Minister Dilip Kumar Jaiswal and senior officials were present.
Under the plan, Bihar will develop five mega food parks, 10 industrial parks and 100 MSME parks over the next five years. The flagship Integrated Manufacturing Cluster (IMC) at Dobhi in Gaya, spread over 1,700 acres, is being fast-tracked, while 31 new IMC-model industrial parks covering 14,036 acres across 29 districts are on the anvil.
Ten of these will be sector-focused, including textile and pharmaceutical parks, with Rs 26,000 crore earmarked for the next phase of industrial development.
Kumar said large-scale industrialisation was essential for boosting growth and jobs.
“Industrial units in Bihar have more than doubled since 2005, and exports have risen from Rs 25 crore to Rs 17,000 crore,” he said, adding that MSMEs surged from 72,000 to 35 lakh, raising the industry share of GSDP from 5.4% to over 21%. “We will ensure our youth are not compelled to migrate for employment.”
Under the Mukhyamantri Udyami Yojana, 44,073 entrepreneurs have received financial support.
Bihar is also eyeing a technology-driven future with proposals for a Defence Corridor, Semiconductor Park, Global Capability Centre, Mega Tech City and Fintech City. Committees have been formed to oversee these projects. The state will train 7 lakh youth in industry-linked skills and set up an MSME Directorate along with centres in all districts.
The announcement comes a day after the CM revealed plans for three new departments — Youth, Employment and Skill Development; Higher Education; and Civil Aviation — part of a larger target to generate one crore jobs between 2025 and 2030.
The Industries Department has seen significant churn since the last Assembly election, with five ministers helming the portfolio so far.