Investment proposals worth 3.42 lakh crores received at Bengal Global Business Summit: Chief Minister, West Bengal

Apr 21, 2022

137 MoUs and LoIs signed at the summit

 Summit to create 40 lakh new jobs in the state 

KOLKATA, 21 April 2022: Chief Minister of West Bengal, Ms Mamata Banerjee said that the state has received Investment proposals worth 3.42 lakh crores at the 6^th edition of the Bengal Global Business Summit.

Addressing the valedictory session of the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) today at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, Ms Banerjee said, "We have received investment proposals worth INR 3,42,375 crores during BGBS 2022." She added that this is the highest among all the editions of the summit.

Citing the summit as a global industrial festival, the Chief Minister added, "We have seen 137 Memorandums of Understanding and Letters of Intent signed during the summit covering logistics, infrastructure, capacity building etc."

"Only this edition of BGBS will create more than 40 lakh new jobs for the unemployed youth," added Ms Banerjee.

Highlighting the state's focus on increasing connectivity, the CM shared plans to invest INR 72,000 crores in the upcoming Jungle Sundari Dedicated Freight Corridor project. She shared that Bagdogra airport will be made international, and the regional airports are coming to Malda, Balurghat, Purulia and Cooch Behar. She added that the state has already set up 26 helicopter landing stations.

Reiterating the state's focus on Ease of Doing Business, Ms Banerjee said, "We have constituted a task force under the Chief Secretary to ensure quick and smooth implementation of projects." She further urged the industry to set up more export hubs in Bengal.

Highlighting the opportunities for the service sector in the state, Mr Harshvardhan Neotia, Past President, FICCI and Chairman, Ambuja Neotia Group said, "The services sector has a very promising future. The Chief Minister has alluded to our human talent that the service sector feeds on. Bengal has some of the brightest minds and together we can take the economic agenda of this state forward very fast and very effectively."

Briefing about the potential for tourism sector in West Bengal, Mr Rudra Chatterjee, Chair, FICCI West Bengal and MD, Luxmi Group said, "Over the three years private sector and the government of West Bengal together will invest INR 5,000 crores which will create 200,000 jobs in the tourism." He further added that there is a need to ensure that more flights, especially international, come to the state.

Sharing insights on the agri sector, Mr Sanjiv Puri, National Executive Committee Member, FICCI and Chairman & MD, ITC Ltd said, "West Bengal is the powerhouse of agriculture and has well-positioned agri-resources."

The Chief Minister also launched a tea table book- Celebrating Traditional Treasure- GI Products of Bengal. WBIDC, supported by FICCI, brought out this tea table book as an endeavour to promote these GI tagged products of the state. This book aims to encourage registrations of new GIs, fostering continual inclusive socio-economic development in the state of West Bengal.

During the summit, FICCI signed a tripartite MoU with the Paschim Banga Society for Skill Development (PBSSD), Technical Education, Training and Skill Development (TET&SD) Department, GoWB, and the Hettich Poddar Wood Working Institute (HPWWI), to develop Placement Linked Training Programme for the Furniture sector. The aim of this is to bridge the skill gap and provide opportunities to Youth and Craftsmen from the sector for gainful wage employment as well as entrepreneurship.

FICCI was a summit partner for the Bengal Global Business Summit 2022.