Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary with Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari during the Rising Bihar Investor Summit 2026 at Hotel Taj City Centre, in Patna on Thursday, October 1, 2026. (Photo: IANS)
Patna, October 1 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Industries Minister Shreyasi Singh and Road Construction Minister Kumar Shailendra jointly inaugurated the Rising Bihar Investor Summit 2026 at the Taj City Centre in Patna on Thursday.
Addressing the inaugural session, Choudhary said Bihar was ready to welcome investments and assured investors that the state government would provide all possible support and facilities.
He said infrastructure, including roads, electricity and water supply, was being strengthened to create a favourable environment for industries.
Urging industrialists to invest in Bihar, the Chief Minister said the government was working to expand investment and employment opportunities so that people from the state would not have to migrate elsewhere in search of jobs.
Highlighting Bihar’s historical and cultural significance, Choudhary referred to renowned centres of learning such as Nalanda and Vikramshila, the legacy of Magadh and Pataliputra, and the state’s association with Lord Buddha, Lord Mahavir and Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
He said Bihar has historically been a centre of knowledge and economic activity and argued that the state’s large population should be seen as an economic asset rather than a liability.
Referring to a population of around 14 crore, Choudhary said Bihar represented a vast market for businesses and industries.
He said the government’s objective was to create more opportunities within the state and generate employment for its people.
Choudhary said reliable roads, electricity and water were essential for industrial development.
He said Bihar’s road network had expanded substantially and that work was continuing on national highways and expressways.
He also highlighted growth in electricity availability and consumption in the state, saying the government was working to strengthen power generation and distribution capacity further.
On water management, Choudhary said Bihar faced recurring floods because water flowed into the state from Nepal and neighbouring states.
He stressed the need for a long-term strategy for managing major rivers, including the Ganga, Kosi and Gandak.
He said the state could also explore developing industrial corridors, townships and other economic activities in the Kosi region.
Better water-resource management, he added, could benefit the industrial, agricultural and tourism sectors.
The Chief Minister also pointed to drought-related challenges in parts of south Bihar and said efforts were underway to ensure the availability of Ganga water for drinking and irrigation when needed.
Choudhary said the state government had formulated a silt policy for the first time and was exploring the use of silt and soil dredged from rivers in road construction and other development projects.
According to him, using such material could help reduce construction costs while also providing a productive use for dredged material.
He also highlighted the government’s plans to solarise agricultural feeders.
The initiative, he said, would help ensure that farmers receive adequate electricity during the daytime while reducing the burden of electricity subsidies.
Reassuring investors, Choudhary said products manufactured by industries established in Bihar would receive priority in government procurement, provided they met the required quality standards.
He said the government would purchase 25 per cent of eligible produce and work to facilitate wider market access for industries.
The state’s procurement policy was also being amended to support industrial development better, he said.
Choudhary identified tourism, hotels and eco-tourism as sectors with significant investment potential.
He said the state was encouraging hotel and tourism projects at several locations, including Patna and Gaya.
Highlighting Bihar’s infrastructure growth, Choudhary said the state’s road network, once around 8,000 km, had expanded to about 1.5 lakh km.
He said the condition of rural roads had also improved significantly.
He also compared the state’s power availability with the situation in 2005.
According to him, electricity availability, which stood at around 500 MW at that time, had now increased to more than 10,000 MW.
The government, he said, has set a target of increasing this capacity to 20,000 MW over the next five years, while continuing to strengthen electricity distribution infrastructure.
The Chief Minister said Bihar was also exploring new modes of transport, including ropeways and water transport.
He mentioned a proposed ropeway project connecting Patna with the Baba Hariharnath Temple in Sonepur across the Ganga. He said the government is working on a range of infrastructure projects to improve connectivity and support tourism.
Choudhary said the government was focusing on infrastructure, industry and employment to accelerate Bihar’s economic development.
He urged investors to trust the state’s potential and participate in its development.
He said creating sufficient employment opportunities within Bihar remained a priority and that the government would continue working to provide jobs within the state to people who currently migrate elsewhere for employment.
Choudhary thanked Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for attending the investor summit and said cooperation between the Centre and the Bihar government would further accelerate infrastructure development in the state.
He also thanked investors, industry representatives, and other participants, and called on them to contribute to Bihar’s development.
Speaking at the event, Gadkari said significant development work was underway in Bihar under the leadership of Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and the state government.
