In election year, here's what Bihar got in Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget 2025

New Delhi, Feb 1, 2025

On Saturday (February 1), while presenting her eighth Union Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the establishment of a Makhana Board in Bihar. The initiative aims to enhance production, processing, and value addition of Makhana in the state.

“Budget aims to invigorate private sector investments, uplift household sentiments, bolster power of India’s rising middle class,” she said.

The Finance Minister also announced that the capacity of the Indian Institute of Technology in Patna will be expanded as part of a broader initiative to enhance IITs. This includes developing additional infrastructure across five IITs to accommodate 6,500 more students.

Strengthening Bihar’s food economy

Additionally, the Finance Minister emphasised the government's dedication to strengthening the food processing sector as part of its efforts to uplift the poor. To advance this goal, a National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Management will be set up in Bihar to promote food processing activities across the eastern region.

According to her, this initiative will yield two major benefits: first, it will increase farmers' earnings by adding value to their produce, and second, it will generate opportunities for skilling, entrepreneurship, and employment among the region’s youth.

[The Business Standard]