Bihar made history on Monday (21 October) with the inauguration of its first-ever dry port at Bihta, near Patna. Inaugurated by Industries Minister Nitish Mishra, the dry port's first export - a consignment of leather shoes to Russia - is being seen as the state's big initiative in expanding its global trade footprint.

• The dry port is being seen as the state’s big initiative to boost export of goods being produced in Bihar, in collaboration with a private company.
• It is connected by rail to the major gateway ports of Kolkata, Haldia, Visakhapatnam, Nhava Sheva, Mundra, and the major national and international trade routes.
• This state-of-the-art facility is spread over seven acres and is being run in a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode by Pristine Magadh Infrastructure Private Limited and Bihar’s industry department.
• It is fully commissioned and approved under the Department of Revenue, Union Ministry of Finance.
• The first export consignment from the Port was leather shoes sent to Russia.

What is a dry port and why was it needed in Bihar?
A dry port, or inland container depot (ICD), provides a logistics facility away from a seaport or airport for cargo handling, storage, and transportation. It acts as a bridge between sea/air ports and inland regions, facilitating efficient movement of goods. The first dry port in India was opened in Varanasi in 2018.