Few tracts of land have a legacy as rich as that of the eastern Indian state of Bihar. Fewer probably have been relegated to the bins of history.
Two of the world's most pacifist religions—Buddhism and Jainism—have their roots in Bihar. The Magadha region was the centre of Indian power, learning and culture for about a thousand years. One of the subcontinent's greatest empires, the Maurya Empire, ruled from this land. The state also gave India its first President.
Since Independence, however, it has been a land-that-was. Decades of corruption, maladministration, sectarian violence and environmental degradation have rendered Bihar into a pitiable state of affairs. The last blow came when the resource-rich southern half of the state was carved out as the separate entity of Jharkhand.
Traditional textiles of Bihar hardly figure in national discussions on the subject, and Bihar does not even have a dedicated ministry for textiles. Those from the state who have made it big have done so by ploughing one's own furrow elsewhere.
But many of those who have made it big industry now want to do their mite for their homeland. This was what made the recent Bihar Business Connect 2023, organised by the Department of Industries, a phenomenal success. The two-day event event on December 13-14, in state capital Patna attracted more than 5,000 investors, entrepreneurs, designers, exporters, buyers and exhibitors from India and abroad. Business meetings, seminars, workshops, industrial visits and exhibitions marked the event.
One of the highlights was the participation of a large number of investors who hail originally from Bihar and have made their mark in the textiles industry in other states or countries. They expressed their keen interest and enthusiasm to invest in Bihar and contribute to its industrial development.
