Bihar Industry & Tourism Minister Nitish Mishra honoured in London for driving reforms
In an interview last year with YourStory Founder and CEO Shradha Sharma, Nitish Mishra said Bihar, once seen as less industry-friendly, has sprung into the limelight with multi-billion dollar investment announcements.
Bihar's Industry and Tourism Minister Nitish Mishra has been honoured with the India-UK Achievers Honours 2025 award in the Government and Politics category at a function in London that celebrated the achievements of Indian students and alumni of UK institutions.
Mishra, a Chevening Scholar and postgraduate in Global Political Economy from the University of Hull, has been instrumental in driving reforms through technology as a minister in the Bihar government. With strong UK ties, he brings global best practices to Bihar and is a Harvard Kennedy School alumnus, according to a statement.
In an exclusive interaction with YourStory, Mishra expressed that receiving the award was both a great honour and a prestigious recognition. He conveyed his gratitude to his constituency's residents for electing him to serve a fourth term. Acknowledging the support of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Modi, he thanked them for their continuous encouragement.
"The award has given me added responsibility to work for a Viksit Bharat by 2047. A Viksit Bihar will lead to a Viksit Bharat," he said.
Mishra, 51, a history graduate from the University of Delhi, did his MBA from the FORE School of Management, Delhi, and the Maastricht School of Management, Netherlands. He further pursued a postgraduate diploma in Global Political Economy from the University of Hull, United Kingdom, in 1998. Additionally, he completed the Emerging Leaders Programme at the John F Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 2016.
Before entering politics, he worked as an educationist and social worker.
In an interview last year with YourStory Founder and CEO Shradha Sharma, the Bihar minister said the state, once seen as less industry-friendly, has sprung into the limelight with multi-billion dollar investment announcements.
“There was a mindset that Bihar does not and cannot have big industries. That perception is changing,” said Mishra. “Infrastructure is no longer a bottleneck in Bihar. We believe it is Advantage Bihar right now.”
He also spoke about inculcating an entrepreneurial spirit and envisions every district to have at least 200-300 enterprises. This, he said, was being facilitated by the Startup Bihar policy to build a conducive startup ecosystem in the region by offering a seed grant of up to Rs 10 lakh per startup as an interest-free loan for 10 years.
“People from Bihar were typically known to be fond of sarkari jobs that offer stable income. But that mindset is changing. We need large companies in Bihar, but we also need to create a lot of small industries in our districts because these small enterprises make a big difference,” he added.
Organised by the National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK, in collaboration with the UK Department for Business and Trade, British Council, Universities UK International, Chevening, UK Council for International Student Affairs, London Higher, and UCAS, the awards honour individuals who have made significant contributions across various fields.
The winners were selected from a large pool of applicants by an 11-member jury. Five finalists were shortlisted in each category, spanning government and politics, art, culture, entertainment and sports, business and entrepreneurship, society, policy and law, education, science and innovation, and media and journalism.
The award was open to Indian students and alumni who have studied in the UK and made remarkable professional and social contributions. All the finalists were also felicitated at a special felicitation ceremony at the Cholmondeley Room and Terrace of the British Parliament (House of Lords), attended by Indian and British dignitaries, on February 12.
(With inputs from PTI.)