'What service industry will they do?': Mohandas Pai blasts Prashant Kishor for 'industries can't stop migration in Bihar' remark
In a recent interview, Kishor claimed that setting up industries does not stop migration while citing the economic model adopted by countries.
- Jun 27, 2025,
- Updated Jun 27, 2025 9:26 AM IST
Venture capitalist and former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai on Friday called out Jan Suraaj founder — Prashant Kishor — for his take on the issue of migration and lack of jobs in the poll-bound Bihar. In a recent interview, Kishor claimed that setting up industries does not stop migration while citing the economic model adopted by countries.
Pai opined that what Bihar needs is in stark contrast to Kishor's pitch of adopting a services-centric model like Singapore and New Zealand.
To substantiate his argument, the former Infosys CFO cited the population density of Bihar vs the population density of Singapore and New Zealand. He said that the northern state needs the industry-focused China model, which is labour-intensive in nature.
"Why is @PrashantKishor comparing Bihar with 130 m people with small countries like Singapore, New Zealand? Big mistake. Bihar needs the China model with huge labour-intensive industries. Good infra, housing, education, tourism, agri exports etc., what he is saying does not work. How will purchasing power come without huge investments? Production of goods? What service industry will they do?" Pai wrote on X.
What did Prashant Kishor exactly say?
In a heated debate with the anchors of the ANI podcast, Kishor said: "Industries cannot stop migration. Which major industry is there in New Zealand? There is no industry in Singapore or New Zealand. There is no industry in Finland, and there's nothing in Sweden."
He further said that big industrialist parks cannot be built in a state like Bihar. The Jan Suraaj founder explained that Bihar is landlocked and has a very high population density.
Commenting on what needs to be done, Kishor said: "In the first phase, we have to boost our education and service sector, and we have to provide good education to the kids, and we have to provide more resources in the hands of people so that people are able to do something on their own."
He added that the people of Bihar are industrious and hardworking, while adding that people doing odd jobs normally hail from states like Uttar Pradesh or Bihar.
But what if Bihar had an industrial park? Kishor elaborates: "Let's say an Adani sets up an industry or if an Ambani builds a factory in the state, how many people will get labour from that? 10,000; 20,000; 50,000; 1 lakh; Bihar has a population of ~13 crore. There is confusion. All leaders will come in the day and say that the government has given 5 lakh jobs."
He added that after 78 years, the total number of people doing government jobs in the state stacks up to over 23 lakh, around 2% of Bihar's total population.
Venture capitalist and former Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai on Friday called out Jan Suraaj founder — Prashant Kishor — for his take on the issue of migration and lack of jobs in the poll-bound Bihar. In a recent interview, Kishor claimed that setting up industries does not stop migration while citing the economic model adopted by countries.
Pai opined that what Bihar needs is in stark contrast to Kishor's pitch of adopting a services-centric model like Singapore and New Zealand.
To substantiate his argument, the former Infosys CFO cited the population density of Bihar vs the population density of Singapore and New Zealand. He said that the northern state needs the industry-focused China model, which is labour-intensive in nature.
"Why is @PrashantKishor comparing Bihar with 130 m people with small countries like Singapore, New Zealand? Big mistake. Bihar needs the China model with huge labour-intensive industries. Good infra, housing, education, tourism, agri exports etc., what he is saying does not work. How will purchasing power come without huge investments? Production of goods? What service industry will they do?" Pai wrote on X.
What did Prashant Kishor exactly say?
In a heated debate with the anchors of the ANI podcast, Kishor said: "Industries cannot stop migration. Which major industry is there in New Zealand? There is no industry in Singapore or New Zealand. There is no industry in Finland, and there's nothing in Sweden."
He further said that big industrialist parks cannot be built in a state like Bihar. The Jan Suraaj founder explained that Bihar is landlocked and has a very high population density.
Commenting on what needs to be done, Kishor said: "In the first phase, we have to boost our education and service sector, and we have to provide good education to the kids, and we have to provide more resources in the hands of people so that people are able to do something on their own."
He added that the people of Bihar are industrious and hardworking, while adding that people doing odd jobs normally hail from states like Uttar Pradesh or Bihar.
But what if Bihar had an industrial park? Kishor elaborates: "Let's say an Adani sets up an industry or if an Ambani builds a factory in the state, how many people will get labour from that? 10,000; 20,000; 50,000; 1 lakh; Bihar has a population of ~13 crore. There is confusion. All leaders will come in the day and say that the government has given 5 lakh jobs."
He added that after 78 years, the total number of people doing government jobs in the state stacks up to over 23 lakh, around 2% of Bihar's total population.