Bihar Darpan

Tag: industrial growth in bihar

  • INDUSTRIES IN BIHAR: THE CURRENT FACE

    INDUSTRIES IN BIHAR: THE CURRENT FACE

    Bihar as a state had to face various ups and downs ever since India was set free. This article explores the impact of all those years that this state had to go through in the new era of 21st Century.

    “Development of Industries pave the way for Economical Sunrise”

    Over the years of Independence, by now India started emerging as a strong face among the Developing Nation, targeting to enter the world of Developed Nations. Bihar too, having faced the turbulence in the industrial and economic front, was putting together to keep up with the entire country. 

    Major industries in bihar

    Bihar held strong to the agricultural base that it had since the pre-independence era. The state enjoys a unique location-specific influence because of its vicinity to the vast markets of eastern and northern India, admittance to ports such as Kolkata and Haldia, and to raw material sources and mineral reserves from the neighbouring states.

    The new government that took over analysed these benefits to channel along with the new policies that were set to introduce. This government gave priority to create investment opportunities for big industrial houses, investing well in the industrial growth of the state. There were proposals related to the re-establishment of sugar mills, ethanol, engineering and medical colleges and power production in the state. 

    Industries in bihar – wikipedia

    The early tenure of the new government started smooth and was seen as a ray of hope for the state of Bihar. But soon this rise in the development was challenged by the 2008 depression, followed by natural calamities like Kosi floods, furthermore weakening the state of Bihar. The waves of these calamities managed to wash away the sandcastle of Industrial development that took so long to finally shape up.

    By now Bihar and the people of Bihar had become tough. They knew how to gather the pieces and start over. But this start over was not as easy as it had already been in the past. With the population taking upsurge and the world being connected globally over strong phone networks, people started losing hope in their state’s government and did no longer believe that employment would be easy for them on the lands of their state.

    Consequently, the inflow and outflow of the population were witnessed. The people from the towns and cities migrated to ‘better off’ towns and cities in search of work, and people from villages came to the cities and towns in search of a better and uplifting lifestyle. Since the entire state was turbulent, people assumed that there would be a lot better opportunities in other states.

    Consequently, people from towns and cities along with people of villages started moving to other cities in search of work and hence to achieve the dream of more money. They managed to find work in abundance, but again the quality was compromised and hence, they either had to turn up to become migrant workers, guards, vendors etc. These people often took double, triple shifts to manage their needs in big cities and also to send money home. 

    Industrial growth in bihar

    Bihar surely appears to be coming back to the track of Industrial development, but the process needs a lot of speed. The land of Ashoka the Great, has every ounce of potential to make it up to the leading industrial hub if the investments are done properly. This state has always been a gem which is lying undiscovered. Once identified, it can prove its worth again.

    As a state with immense potential and resources on our side, a booming industrial growth is very much possible for this state has never learnt to bow down no matter how much weight you put on its shoulders. The toil and turmoil of so many years have made this state immune to fighting every calamity with a promise to shine brighter. 

  • STATE OF INDUSTRIAL GROWTH IN BIHAR POST THE 1980s

    STATE OF INDUSTRIAL GROWTH IN BIHAR POST THE 1980s

    More than 30 years into Independence, how did industries shape with further advancement in Bihar? How was Bihar making its way to stand with Developing India? This piece will trace the state of Industrial Growth in Bihar in the 1980s.

    “An area developing should stand strong on the roots of Industries”  

    It was nearly thirty years of India being independent, which in turn meant thirty years of owning up the industries and technologies. This was the time when India stepped up into being one of the Developing Nations, taking planned and strategic steps, trying to make a global space. 
    While the country was putting together it’s 30 years’ of growth, the state of Bihar was tiring hard to start over.

    Industrial growth in bihar

    Primarily fed on the Coal and Steel industry, Bihar saw a decline in other possibly flourishing industries. However, stats suggest that there was significant growth in the Bihar’s GDP rate, and it is said that the economy was one of the fastest-growing in the country. 

    The then 5-Year plan called for a huge amount of investment in Bihar, nearly $4 billion. Now, this translates to $12 per person if the investment is to be mapped with the then population of Bihar. Though the investments were huge, they failed to reach out to the larger mass. Economists alleged that a huge budget deficiency drove inflation, decaying the already low standard of living of the people’s poorest sections from the state.

    STATE OF INDUSTRIAL GROWTH IN BIHAR POST THE 1980s

    This can pretty much be confirmed from the scenario in agriculture. Agriculture was supposed to be the largest sector. Around the early 1980s, the government sank to invest in the production of agriculture and preferably opted to import food grains from other parts of India. This decision helped increase problems faced by agricultural workers in the late 1980s.

    Apart from the strong Agriculture base, Bihar is also known to be rich in mineral resources and forests. More than 40% of India’s coal, 32% of its bauxite, 59% of its copper, 17% of its iron ore, about 80% of its silver, and 60% of its mica comes from Bihar. Bihar and UP are also rich in mineral resources and forests.

    Economy of bihar

    More than 40% of India’s coal, 32% of its bauxite, 59% of its copper, 17% of its iron ore, about 80% of its silver, and 60% of its mica comes from Bihar. Such an extensive rich resource center would point to one to expect that Bihar would be analogously well-off as compared with other mighty states of India. Regrettably, Bihar remains to be trapped in the nets of underdevelopment.

    There have been many efforts made to reduce poverty and expediting economic growth has been the key focus in development. But these efforts were nowhere to be visible. This was primarily the result of the failed attempt at understanding and judging the causes of economic growth. Bihar stood to be different from other states in India.

    Therefore, the growth pattern in other states did not apply to Bihar. It needed some alterations and modifications simply because of the demographical diversity that exists in Bihar. 

    There was a prolonged hindrance in the path of development in Bihar. Not only the industries but the economy as a whole was decreasing instead of growing. Many would point out the corruption that was instilled in the political front, but none of us can deny the fact that true potential of Bihar’s industries and agriculture has been kept under the eye of ignorance.

    There was a false lens of pride which made people and politicians brag with dignity about their state Bihar without actually giving it a chance to grow on its roots.

    Bihar had the potential to grow like a lotus in the mud, but the negligence that our state faced right from the start managed only to reduce it to Mud. Consequently, a potential high yielder bagged the tag of underdeveloped state. 

  • INDUSTRIES IN BIHAR IN COLONIAL TIMES

    INDUSTRIES IN BIHAR IN COLONIAL TIMES

    The onset of Industries has been brought in the time when India was a colony. This piece explores the unheard saga of the Industries in Bihar in the colonial times.

    ‘Industry is the Soul of Business and the Keystone of prosperity’

    -Charles Dickens

    India as a country began assembling under the English Colonial Umbrella from the mid 19th Century. How could Bihar- a state from North/East be exempted from colonization? Though the British Raj is remembered for its oppressive behaviour, we sure can give credits for the setup and development of Industries that was done by them. 

    Talking of Bihar, did the setting up of Industries benefit the state? Did it ever go down as it was planned? 

    Major industries in bihar

    Industries in Bihar in Colonial times was just on papers. A part of the Bengal Presidency (along with parts of Orissa) till as late as 1911 and Bihar was excluded from even the passing goods of colonisation. Since all development was focussed around Calcutta, Bihar remained as rural as it had been for centuries. The land of the Mauryas, the land of the Golden age was thrown to the thick dark clouds of underdevelopment.  

    Other than setting up industries in parts of Bihar which had excellent trade routes, the Colonizers decided to re-orient Bihar’s agriculture to attend to foreign markets, paying very little interest to local affairs. New laws such as the Permanent Settlement not only leveraged centuries-old casteist-feudal structures but made them even more exploitative in nature. 

    Manufacturing industries in bihar

    Largely agriculture-based town and villages of Bihar were far from the league of Industry Set Up in the early 20th Century. Since the state already had a significant set of small scale industries which were entirely put by the locals, Bihar saw a rise in the same by a very meagre margin.

    Medieval history of bihar

    The Babu Sahabs who were fascinated with the small scale industry products like Bangles, handmade fans contributed to the business growth in the region. These small-scale enterprises were directly contributing to the self-sustainability of the villages and towns.

    The famous cities of Bihar such as Magadh (Gaya), Patliputra, Sitamarhi, Purnea, Bhagalpur, Chhapra, Ara acted as prime areas for the development of the state economy on a whole.

    Although with the arrival of the external trading forces and successive invasions as well as the internal weaknesses, the village economy began to debase. The so-called elite started replicating the better and original goods produced in the state. The cheaply available British finished products such as clothes made the rural economy to deteriorate.

     The regional market of various towns of Bihar had a well-acquired name throughout the country until all the goods were started off being made with the help of big machines and in the newly set up factories. The cheap price of those goods brought down on the beautifully crafted products and the reason why even the small scale industries had to face a downfall.

    Not able to bear this downfall financially, the people started moving towards the last resort that would help them earn their bread and butter- Agriculture. 

    Industrial growth in bihar

     Twenty years into the new century, Bihar failed to rise as an Industry settlement in India and was merely known as a wheat-producing state. The people of Bihar thus were deprived of the massive employment opportunity these industries and factories would make flow. 

     This very foundation of setting up of new technology was not offered to Bihar, making the state a crippled economy for the adversities to come in future.