Industrial growth overtakes agri in Bihar’s economy: Min | Patna News

Patna: Water resources department (WRD) minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary on Friday said that for the first time, Bihar’s industrial sector has overtaken agriculture as the main contributor to the state’s gross state domestic product (GSDP). Choudhary, who also served as the state’s finance minister under CM Nitish Kumar in the past, described the increase in the size of Bihar’s industrial economy as the “most important qualitative change” in the state. He said this shift is reflected in the advanced estimate of the economy prepared by the national statistical organization (NSO), whose data is released by the ministry of statistics and programme implementation (MoSPI) for 2024-25. The advanced estimate released by MoSPI points to a 13.9% increase in GSDP during 2024-25 at current prices, higher than the national GDP growth rate of 9.8%, Choudhary said. At constant prices (2011-12), Bihar’s GSDP growth rate was 8.64%. Among major states, Bihar’s economy was the fastest-growing after Tamil Nadu, both at constant and current prices. Tamil Nadu’s growth was 15.98% at current prices and 11.19% at constant prices. “However, the most important aspect of Bihar’s state economy is that growth in the industrial sector has overtaken agriculture, proving a qualitative transformation in the state’s economy,” he said. “This increase has come about due to pro-industry and investment-friendly policies pursued by the govt, accompanied by institutional initiatives that boosted private investment. Consequently, the industrial sector has grown more than the agriculture and services sectors,” he added. While construction and manufacturing rose by 11%, the services sector grew by 8.9%. Reflecting this growth, the state’s per capita income increased from Rs 68,624 at current prices last fiscal to Rs 76,490 in 2024-25, he said. “All this is the result of effective policy principles and solid economic management under the NDA govt led by CM Nitish Kumar,” Choudhary said, refuting opposition claims of negligible economic progress.