Udyog Samvad | Bihar launches online portal for entrepreneurs

State industries minister Jai Kumar Singh on 21st March said conducive law and order was not the only prerequisite for attracting investors. Had it been so, Mumbai, the financial capital of the country, with its history of underworld dons would never have attracted so much investments.

“Mumbai is on the seaside and waterways is the cheapest mode of importing and exporting goods. But Bihar is landlocked,” the minister said at the 3rd Bihar Entrepreneurship Summit held at Adhiveshan Bhawan. “This is the reason why CM Nitish Kumar wants special category status to Bihar as tax benefits will definitely encourage companies to invest in the state,” he said.

The minister pitched for the need of economic revolution and said the state government was focusing on small and medium industries and traditional businesses. “Our department is also working on an easy and simple single-window system for investors, as many had to return due to the long and tiring paperwork,” he said. ‘Udyog Samvad’, an online platform for direct dialogue between state industries department and entrepreneurs, was also launched at the event. The initiative aims at resolving the issues of new as well as existing entrepreneurs in the state and will be monitored on daily basis by state industries department principal secretary.

State cooperatives minister Alok Kumar Mehta pitched for the need to strengthen the production economy of Bihar. “Only opening showrooms does not reflect industrial development. Unless the manufacturing sector grows, Bihar’s economy will keep flowing outside,” Mehta said.

Speaking on the occasion, state industries department principal secretary S Siddharth said, “Rs500 crore venture capital fund of the state government will provide financial help to start-ups in Bihar. We will try that different departments of the state government also promote start-ups.”

President and CEO of General Electric (Aviation and Transportation)-India, Nalin Jain said, “All innovations that have happened in recent years were suitable for the Western world. The challenge for entrepreneurs here is not how to copy-paste it, but to create new solutions unique to this part of the world.”

Altogether 10 entrepreneurs were given ‘Impact Entrepreneurs and Change-makers 2016′ award on the occasion. They were Shantanu Vibhor, Manish Sahay, Aabish, Swaraj Sinha, Kalpana Kumar, Pritesh Anant, Ritesh Singh, Shazia, Abhimanyu and Suman Azad.

Prior to the summit, Bihar Entrepreneurs Association (BEA) also organized talks in metro cities to throw light on the works of the organization.