Bihar is country's fastest growing state at 13.1%

June 2, 2012

New Delhi, June 2: Bihar, which was synonymous with poverty, has emerged as the fastest growing state for the second year running, clocking a scorching 13.1% growth in 2011-12. Not just that, on the back of four years of double-digit growth, its economy is now bigger than that of Punjab—until recently the preferred destination of Bihari migrant workers.

Among the top five states, Bihar is followed by Delhi and Puducherry. Mineral-rich Chhattisgarh, which many had written off for the violent Naxal movement, and Goa complete the top five growth listings, according to data available with the ministry of statistics.

Gujarat—a favoured destination for investors, both domestic and foreign—is again out of the reckoning for the top five slots, expanding 9.1% during the last financial year, according to data submitted to the Planning Commission on Friday. Among the more industrialized states, only Tamil Nadu was ahead of Gujarat with 9.4% growth (at 2004-05 prices).

Punjab, known as the grain bowl of India, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, both IT hubs, and Uttar Pradesh, the country's most populous state, clocked growth that was lower than India's GDP growth of 6.5% in 2011-12.

Economists, however, said that 9% growth by some of the larger states such as Gujarat and Tamil Nadu was credible given that they were growing on a much larger base.

In comparison, states such as Bihar and Chhattisgarh had a much lower base. For instance, at 2004-05 prices, economic activity in Tamil Nadu's was estimated at Rs 4.28 lakh crore, the highest among states for which data is available with the Central Statistics Office (CSO), while Bihar's gross state domestic product (GSDP) at 2004-05 prices was estimated at Rs 1.63 lakh crore.

In fact, Tamil Nadu beat Uttar Pradesh as the second largest state economy, after Maharashtra. UP's economy was estimated to be worth Rs 4.19 lakh crore in 2011-12, while Maharashtra, for which data is unavailable, is expected to retain its number one slot given that its economy was worth over Rs 7 lakh crore in 2010-11. In recent years, Maharashtra has lost out on investment to states such as Gujarat and Tamil Nadu and growth has slowed.

With the Bihar government taking up road building and other construction work in a big way, and with the state's law and order situation improving, consumers who were earlier wary of flaunting their wealth are now buying cars and bikes at an unprecedented pace. Rural demand too has got a boost with agricultural productivity rising for several crops, and with an improvement in connectivity and state-funded programmes for education, health and livelihood. Bihar is currently among the fastest growing markets for tractors.

"There are two things happening in Bihar. One, investment sentiment has picked up largely because of governance issues. Two, Bihar's growth is against a very low base. But there is a lesson in it for others," said N R Bhanumurthy, professor at the National Institute of Public Finance & Policy.

"States with internal demand will do better while those that are dependent on corporate demand tend to perform relatively worse at a time when corporate investments are low," added Pronab Sen, principal advisor in the Planning Commission and a former chief statistician.

Incidentally, data for Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, which made up what were once the Bimaru states, was unavailable.

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IndiGo meltdown: 200 flights cancelled; Bengaluru hit hard with 42 cancellations

News Network

December 3,2025

IndiGo, India’s largest airline, is battling one of its worst operational disruptions in recent years, with hundreds of delays and cancellations throwing domestic travel into chaos.

Government data on Tuesday showed its on-time performance plunging to 35%, an unusual dip for a carrier long associated with punctuality.

By Wednesday afternoon, airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad had collectively reported close to 200 cancellations, stranding travellers across the country.

Crew Shortage After New Duty Norms

A major trigger behind the meltdown is a severe crew shortage, especially among pilots, following the rollout of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms last month.

The rules mandate longer rest hours and more humane rosters — a shift IndiGo has struggled to incorporate across its vast network.

Sources said several flights were grounded due to lack of cabin crew, while some delays stretched upwards of eight hours.

With IndiGo controlling over 60% of India’s domestic aviation market, the ripple effect has impacted airports nationwide.

IndiGo Issues Apology, Lists “Compounding Factors”

In a statement, IndiGo acknowledged the large-scale disruption:

“We sincerely apologise to customers. A series of unforeseen operational challenges — technology glitches, winter schedule changes, adverse weather, system congestion and updated FDTL norms — created a compounding impact that could not have been anticipated.”

To stabilise operations, the airline has begun calibrated schedule adjustments for the next 48 hours, aiming to restore punctuality. Affected passengers are being offered refunds or alternate travel arrangements, IndiGo said.

What the FDTL Rules Require

The FDTL norms, designed to reduce pilot fatigue, cap duty and flying hours as follows:
•   Maximum 8 hours of flying per day
•   35 hours per week
•   125 hours per month
•   1,000 hours per year

Crew must also receive rest equalling twice the flight duration, with a minimum 10-hour rest period in any 24-hour window.

The DGCA introduced these limits to enhance flight safety.

Hyderabad: 33 Flights Cancelled, Long Queues Reported

Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport saw heavy early-morning crowds as 33 IndiGo flights (arrivals and departures) were cancelled.

The airport clarified on X that operations were normal, advising passengers to contact IndiGo directly for latest flight status.

Cancellations included flights to and from Visakhapatnam, Goa, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Madurai, Hubli, Bhopal and Bhubaneswar.

Bengaluru: 42 Flights Disrupted

Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport recorded 42 cancellations — 22 arrivals and 20 departures — affecting routes to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Goa, Kolkata and Lucknow.

Passengers Vent on Social Media

Irate travellers took to X to share their experiences. One passenger stranded in Hyderabad wrote: “I have been here since 3 a.m. and missed an important meeting.”

Another said: “My flight was pushed from 1:55 PM to 2:55 PM and now 4:35 PM. I was informed only three minutes before entering the airport.”

Delhi Airport Hit by Tech Glitch

At Delhi Airport, the disruption deepened due to a slowdown in the Amadeus system — used for reservations, check-ins and departure control.

The technical issue led to longer queues and sluggish processing, adding to delays already worsened by staff shortages.

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