Bihar a Hidden Gem Not Discovered by World: Goyal

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday termed Bihar a "hidden gem", which has not been discovered by the world.

Exuding confidence that the state will do well in the future, Goyal said the image related to law and order issues, loot, and arson held back its progress in the past.

The issue of corruption for which the former Chief Minister had gone to jail is history, and transparency is the buzzword now, Goyal said, speaking at an event organised by industry chamber CII ahead of an investor summit in December.

He credited Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for having "changed the face of Bihar" by completely transforming the reality on the ground and also the image of the state.

"Bihar is one of those hidden gems which has not been discovered by the world," the minister said, asking the industry to go to Bihar soon and not miss the bus.

He said the Kumar-led administration backed by the BJP has demonstrated the huge potential of Bihar to the industry and exuded confidence that investors from the financial capital will choose to invest in the state.

The second most populous Indian state possesses a slew of advantages, including the young population, Goyal said, adding that the world has discovered virtues in large populations now.

More people prefer to stay in their villages, and it is a matter of time before the industry comes looking for opportunities because of that, he said.

The minister attended the Board of Trade meeting earlier in the day and said that this is the first time the event was held in the financial capital.

There were discussions on the progress towards the aim of increasing exports to $2 trillion by 2030, he said.

Goyal said two new portals were also launched, which included a grievances or clarification platform with video conferencing for the Directorate General of Foreign Trade and also an enterprise resource portal by Export Credit Guarantee Corporation.

He said both the platforms were part of the 100-day plan for the ministry.