Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said the pace at which India is progressing today is driven by the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the revolutionary economic policies of the Central Government. Under the Prime Minister’s leadership, the country realized the concept of “One Nation, One Tax” by implementing GST, which transformed the entire country into a unified market.
The GST reforms have not only accelerated the economy but also made inter-state trade easier and freed traders from the web of unnecessary taxes. The recently implemented GST reforms stand as proof that Prime Minister Modi’s “guarantee” is always fulfilled. These reforms will prove to be a milestone in building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India). The Chief Minister was addressing a programme organized by the Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Patna, Bihar, on Wednesday.
Nayab Singh Saini said that the Prime Minister’s call for “Swadeshi” and “Make in India for the World” has given a new direction to the manufacturing sector in the country. During his recent visit to Japan, he had highlighted that the vision presented by the Prime Minister will play a crucial role in realizing the concept of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
He said that under the Digital India campaign, from UPI to DBT, the digital transaction revolution has promoted transparency and curbed corruption. Today, India’s digital infrastructure has become an example for the entire world. Under the Prime Minister’s leadership, India has increased manufacturing and production, reduced dependency on imports, and emerged as a strong centre of the global supply chain. As a result of the Central Government’s visionary policies and reforms, India is not only moving toward self-reliance but has also established itself as a strong partner in the global economy.
He said that in the past 11 years, there has been unprecedented investment in the construction of roads, railways, airports, and ports. This excellent connectivity is reducing trade and logistics costs for industrialists. To promote ease of doing business, unnecessary laws have been eliminated, processes simplified, and efforts made to free the system from the licence raj. As a result, India has become the world’s fifth-largest economy and is rapidly moving toward becoming the third-largest economic superpower. This is proof of the confidence of entrepreneurs and our collective efforts.
The Chief Minister said that the Prime Minister has given us the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat-2047’. To achieve this goal, we must develop our states. Haryana and Bihar must work together to accelerate the pace of the nation’s progress.
He said that by coming here today, he is witnessing a wonderful confluence of Bihar’s soil and Haryana’s spirit of entrepreneurship. This confluence truly symbolizes the progress of our nation and the resolve of ‘Viksit Bharat’. He said that the relationship between Bihar and Haryana is not limited to geographical boundaries. It is a relationship of love, labour, and trust. He said he takes pride in the fact that he has also worked on the land of Bihar, especially in areas like Sitamarhi and Motihari. He has an emotional and familial bond with the people of Bihar.
Nayab Singh Saini said that the state once labeled as ‘BIMARU’ (backward) is today recognized as the second fastest-growing state in the country due to the double-engine government. Today, Bihar’s GDP growth rate is over 14 percent. It is only because of the government’s visionary policies that Bihar’s per capita income, which was merely Rs 7,914 annually in 2004-05, has now increased more than eightfold to Rs 66,828.
The greatest achievement is that for the first time, a historic transformation has occurred in Bihar’s economy. The industrial sector now contributes 23 percent to Bihar’s GDP, surpassing the share of agriculture. This proves that a safe and conducive environment for industries has been created in Bihar.
He said that from 2016 to 2022, investment proposals worth only Rs 2,500 crore were received. However, in just the last two years, proposals worth more than Rs 12,000 crore have been received—a more than fivefold increase. Bihar is now becoming a state that generates employment. In 2005, the number of startups here was zero. But today, Bihar has become a hub of over 1,500 startups, and the government is providing support to every entrepreneur.
He said that to prepare the youth according to industrial needs, the Bharat Ratna Jananayak Karpoori Thakur Skill University has been inaugurated. It offers industry-based courses to the youth. Besides, the number of engineering colleges has increased from only 3 in 2005 to 38 now, raising the number of technical seats to over 14,000.
Additionally, the state has taken the initiative to give global recognition to local identity. The government’s ‘One District-One Industry’ scheme has brought a revolution in this direction. The best example of this is Katihar’s Makhana, which is now shining in the global market. The Central Government has announced the formation of a Makhana Board to establish it as a ‘superfood’, which has empowered farmers and local industries. He said that the employment generation policies have created new job opportunities by promoting local products and establishing small-scale industries.
The Chief Minister said that to attract industries and deliver products to the market, Bihar has done record work in developing its infrastructure. A network of about 7,000 kilometers of highways has spread across the state. Airports have been inaugurated in Darbhanga and Purnia, and metro service has also started in Patna.
He said that today, Bihar is not just walking on the path of development but running on the highway of progress. A series of policy reforms has been initiated to win investors’ trust. The Bihar Industrial Investment Promotion Package 2025 is a historic step. The government has decided to provide free land to investors. In addition, unprecedented incentives such as an interest subsidy of up to Rs 40 crore and SGST reimbursement of up to 300 percent for 14 years are being provided. The decision to develop a Fintech City near Fatuha in Patna has also been made, which will be a modern financial center modeled after Gujarat’s GIFT City.
The Chief Minister said that the state government aims to create one crore employment opportunities in the next five years. For this, there is also a provision to provide assistance of Rs 5,000 per worker per month to eligible industries. A new policy 2022 has been implemented to provide special incentives to the textile and leather industries. Today, the Bhagalpur cluster ranks second in the country in the production and export of silk fabrics. The investment of major companies like Tata and PepsiCo in Bihar marks the beginning of a new era. This is just the beginning. Our ultimate goal is to make Bihar a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2047.
