Imagine France without Fashion, Germany without automotive excellence or Japan without consumer electronics. There’s no arguing that the image we have of another country or place says a lot about how we view it as a tourist destination, a place to invest or a source of consumer goods. States with poor reputation will always be marginalised, as it happens in the case of Bihar, often languishing at the bottom of the ladder at every discussion forum or a regional summit.

The Bihar Foundation is working on strategies to spruce up brand image of Bihar with the help of its strong Diaspora living outside the State – both in India and abroad.

People: Just as corporate branding campaigns can raise the morale, team spirit, and sense of purpose of a company’s employees, our branding campaigns provide our people a common sense of purpose and pride – not to mention a higher sense of giving back to the State and work for its development. In principle, it is the citizens who stand to gain the most from a successful branding campaign. The Foundation expects all NRBs to act as our brand ambassadors.

Governance : The Foundation creates public opinion regarding the level of the State government’s competency and fairness and helps in enhancing individuals’ beliefs about the government, as well as its commitment to issues such as democracy, justice, poverty and the environment.

Products & Services: We actively brand the public’s image of products and services from each district and help consumers proactively seek products from their place-of-origin. Bhagalpur Silk, Madhubani Painting, Patna Rice, Shahi Litchi of Muzaffarpur etc. are some of the products that we promote to the outside world.

Culture, Heritage & Tourism: Bihar – the cradle of Hinduism, the birthplace of Buddhism, Jainism and tenth Guru of Sikhs has remained unbelievable for the whole world in every sphere. Often referred as the Land of Buddha, Bihar has an abundance of historical places, places of religious importance, archeological sites and forts, which can be suitably renovated and opened up for tourism. The Foundation recognises the enormous potential for tourism development for the State’s economy and creates a level of interest in domestic as well as international tourists by organising various programmes including cultural and food festivals.

Investment: Bihar’s GDP has grown by a stunning 11.03%, way beyond the definition of 7% growth for a “miracle economy”. In this period, Bihar is the second fastest growing state, just a shade behind Gujarat’s growth of 11.05%. Bihar is fast becoming a preferred destination. In a World Bank report Bihar was considered to be a better place, much ahead of the commercial capital, Mumbai, to start business.

The Foundation undertake efforts to promote Bihar a preferred investment destination, branding it as “India’s New Investment Destination”. The Foundation also acts as a coordinating agency to translate project ideas into implementations.