Bihar has seen a 15-fold increase in data consumption in the last five years

In 2019, the telecom sector had around 60 million mobile users, now Bihar has 7.25 million. Representation file image. | Photo credit: Reuters

Ahead of the second edition of the Global Investors Conference in Patna to showcase Bihar’s investment potential, the government said on Wednesday (December 18, 2024) that the state has seen a 15-fold increase in data consumption in the last five years. The Industries Department of the state government is going to hold a two-day summit ‘Bihar Business Connect 2024’ at Patna’s Gyan Bhavan from December 19.

“In 2019, there were about 60 million mobile users in the telecom sector, now there are 7.25 million. In 2019, we had an average data usage of 1.67 gigabytes per month but now it has reached 27 gigabytes. We have installed 45,000 plus mobile towers in the state,” Bihar Chief Secretary Amrit Lal Meena said. “All panchayats in the state are now connected with optical fiber cables. All villages are connected to the network. Bihar has seen a 15-fold increase in data consumption in the last five years.”

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“Bihar has seen phenomenal growth in infrastructure development and its road density is the third highest in the country which facilitates trade and transport. Its power generation has increased from 700 MW to 7,000 MW,” he said.

“In the last two decades, there has been a huge investment in infrastructure, so the focus is on infrastructure,” he added. “I am happy to share with you that in the last decade, the highway network, both national and state, has grown tremendously in Bihar. Today we have a network of 1.2 lakh km of rural roads,” Mr. Meena said in Patna. Talking to media persons said. The state government had announced four expressway highways in the budget of the last financial year.

Mr. Meena also said that the bridges over the Ganga river would “help bridge the north-south divide of the state, fueling Bihar’s growth and development”. “The bridge has brought great dynamism to the timely delivery of our agricultural produce to the market and the prosperity of farmers. Likewise, educational opportunities and health facilities have also improved in the province, he said. “Furthermore, the state government is working hard to provide the youth of the state with proper skills and education to get better job opportunities. Hence, more medical colleges, engineering institutes and polytechnic colleges are being established to produce skilled and competent manpower,” said Mr. Meena.

The two-day ‘Bihar Business Connect 2024’ summit will provide investors with an “opportunity to explore new investment opportunities and be part of a new era of industrial expansion in Bihar”. The plenary session of the summit on December 20 will be attended by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, ministers and other top government officials. Industries and Tourism Minister Nitish Mishra said the summit will herald new opportunities and expansion plans for investors in the state.