Bengal Global Business Summit: Mamata govt bags Rs 2.2-trn investment pacts
More than 32 countries and over 4,000 delegates participated in the 2018 edition
The two-day "Bengal Global Business Summit 2018" organised by the state government has so far received new investment proposals worth Rs 2.19 trillion, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Wednesday.
Addressing delegates on the concluding day of the meet, Banerjee said 50 per cent of last year's business proposals and those of previous years were "in the process" of implementation.
"The new investment proposals for this year that we have received is about Rs 2.19 trillion. It may go up also," she said.
The opposition parties in the state -- the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) -- had on Tuesday demanded a white paper from the government on the number of proposals the state had received in the earlier summits and those that had fructified.
The Chief Minister said: "Whatever we discussed about the business summit... you cannot say that we only discuss or give hopes. We talk less, work more.
"Even last year, of what we discussed, 50 per cent of the businesses (proposals) are in the process... Earlier also, the situation was like this," she said.
According to the state government, the 2015 summit fetched investment proposals worth Rs 2.43 trillion and the 2016 edition over Rs 2.5 trillion.
Business announcements worth over Rs 2.35 trillion were received by the state in the last edition of the summit.
Terming the fourth edition of the business summit a "successful event", she said 1,040 B2B and 40 B2G meetings were held in the summit and, in all, 110 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) would be signed.
The next year's summit will be held on February 7 and 8. "Next year, one day will be dedicated to the world business summit and the other day for conclaves," she said.
Thanking Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani for his Rs 50 billion investment proposals, she said the investments would create a large number of employment opportunities in the state.
"If you calculate all together, with whatever business proposals we have received, employment for more than 20 lakh people will be created," Banerjee said, adding that industries and agriculture were growing hand-in-hand in the state.
According to her, more than 32 countries and over 4,000 delegates participated in the 2018 edition.
"Your kind presence made the summit successful. Your kind presence is our inspiration and strength.
You are our great assets. We are delighted to know about your vision," Banerjee said.
She described the state as "the investment destination", as it had political stability and labour, talent and a business-friendly environment.
According to her, West Bengal is strategically placed for businesses for Asean countries, including neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan and the northeastern states of India.
"Bengal deserves to be a global industrial hub," she told delegates at the summit.
"We are a united and cosmopolitan family. There are no differences on caste and creed. Tolerance is the key. If you don't tolerate people, you would not get the results," she said.
Banerjee also announced that national carrier Air India would commence its services from the Greenfield airport at Andal near Durgapur in the state to Delhi from January 28.
Foreign delegates from South Korea, China, Germany, Italy and other countries have shown interest in the manufacturing sector. (Source: The Business Standard)
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