Ratan Tata, nation's leading industrialist and the chairperson of the National Investment Commission, on his first visit to Bihar after a gap of over 30 years on Thursday, said Bihar had immense investment potential and he would soon dispatch a team of experts to identify areas of interest.
The 67-year old business tycoon said the Commission was committed to extend all help to Bihar which was showing remarkable sign of progress under the NDA government.
"Bihar certainly deserves a second chance and I will personally see that more and more industrialists are coming to Bihar with concrete plans to invest in the state," Tata said after holding a four-hour meeting with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, other businessmen and state officials.
"Upon my return to New Delhi, I will meet with Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and submit my report on Bihar to him.
Stopping short of making any commitment, Tata said it would take some time for Bihar to recover and start attracting investment. "Even India as a nation had to struggle for almost a decade before any sign of foreign investment was noticed. Bihar is going through a similar phase but with strong commitment on the part of the government and help from investor, there is no reason why Bihar cannot become one of the most developed state in the country," the industrialist said.
Tata also held meetings with the members of Bihar Industries Association and the Bihar Chamber of Commerce and sought their opinion on taking the state forward.
Tourism secretary Ramashankar Tiwari said Tata showed interest in setting up golf courses in Bihar and five-star hotels in Nalanda to attract Buddhists from far-eastern countries.
