Patna, Dec. 29: Narendra Modi is yet to conquer the East, but the East, willy-nilly, is gradually embracing Moditva.
Bengal, where the Mamata Banerjee government is fighting a bitter political battle against the emerging BJP, is hosting an investment summit on the lines of Vibrant Gujarat, the global business show started by Narendra Modi when he was chief minister of the western state.
Christened Bengal Leads 2015, the summit will be held from January 6 to 8.
If Bengal is still coy about accepting the Gujarat model, Bihar is openly embracing Moditva.
The state will showcase itself in the upcoming Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and Vibrant Gujarat summit slated to be held next month in Gandhinagar. Bihar is set to drive an aggressive marketing policy to portray itself as a 'rosy investment hub'.
Putting the 'Aao Bihar' (come to Bihar) slogan to the fore, sources in the industries department said, in both events, Bihar would have a stall to tap potential investors.
Apart from this, some individual businessmen from the state will be taking their products to Vibrant Gujarat.
'While the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will take place in Gandhinagar from January 7 to 9, the Vibrant Gujarat summit will be held at the same venue from January 11 to 13. Bihar has been a regular participant in Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (which was held in New Delhi earlier) and this time too, we will have a stall. We have requested the industries bodies in the state to assist us. The Bihar Industries Association (BIA) will also have a delegation,' an official of the industries department said.
The official added that they would aggressively market the 'Aao Bihar' slogan to the potential investors.
'The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is attended by many NRIs. In the last Pravasi Bharatiya Divas conference in New Delhi in January this year, our stall was very popular. There were many NRIs, especially from Mauritius, who came to the kiosk and they were all interested to know about the state. Many had their roots in Bihar and wanted to come and see the state's development. This time, however, the state will aggressively market the 'Aao Bihar' slogan to convince the NRI businessmen to invest in Bihar. The same strategy will be in place for the Vibrant Gujarat summit. Industries minister Bhim Singh will be present at both events,' the official added.
Authorities in the industry bodies said it was important to be aggressive.
'We have to be aggressive. The state's industrial investment policy is very lucrative and there are several schemes for industrialists and investors now. The state has already talked in connection with the creation of new land banks in different districts and the single window system is being strengthened too. With these in the offing, we just need to be aggressive and convince potential investors,' BIA president Arun Agarwal said.
Some others believed that the industrial scenario in the state needed to improve more if at all they were looking at serious investors.
'It has been seen many a time that any potential investor coming to Bihar first asks about the condition single window system in the state. Senior officials in the industries department themselves have agreed and accepted that the system needs to further improve. Availability of land is a major issue still and the idea of land banks is a far-fetched idea. The state government needs to have land in and around Patna, which is a difficult task,' an industrialist said on condition of anonymity.
Industrialist Satyajeet Kumar Singh said he was participating in Vibrant Gujarat with his gorgon nut ( makhana) products.
'We launched e-sale of gorgon nut in August and the response has been very good. I will participate in Vibrant Gujarat and hope that the business gets recognised and Bihar can grow popular among the business community,' he said.
