Lombardy Governor, team likely to attend BGBS on February 7-8
Kolkata: A delegation from Italy's Lombardy is all set to attend the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) scheduled to be held on February 7 and 8, 2019. Governor Attilio Fontana is also likely to attend the event.
Digging into elaborate details about Bengal's potential to offer a favourable climate for trade and investment for Italian investors, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a passionate appeal, reminding the audience of several social schemes that her government has introduced to empower the grassroots sector, which can be developed as a potential area of investment.
Pointing to the skilled and cheap manpower that Bengal has to offer, she said Italian technology in various fields such as leather, fashion design, jewellery, steel and mining among education, tourism and others could find greater synergy.
After the meeting, Banerjee wrote on her Facebook page: "Today, I had an excellent round of discussions with Attilio Fontana, president of the Lombardy Regional Government of Italy. Talks centred around strengthening relations between the Lombardy region of Italy and Bengal and explore areas of mutual collaboration in business, education, tourism and other key sectors. I took the opportunity to invite him to the Bengal Global Business Summit, 2019 and requested him to lead a delegation to Bengal to have a first-hand feel of the opportunities available here in the state. He has accepted the invitation and has expressed keen willingness to come to Bengal with a strong business delegation".
Banerjee and Fontana spoke in detail about the areas of business where both of them can participate.
The Chief Minister suggested that in skill development, Italy and Bengal can be great partners. "We are number one in skill development in India and here Italian participation is welcome." It may be mentioned that while addressing the gathering of industrialists and representatives of different Chambers of Commerce in Milan on Monday, she had said: "Italy has the technology and we have skill and development can take place if Italy and Bengal collaborate."
She said in fashion designing, Italy, which is one of the leading fashion centres of the world, can invest in a design hub that is being planned in Bengal.
Umesh Chowdhary, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Titagarh Wagons, has purchased a factory in Lombardy and both Italy and Bengal can explore the possibilities in the steel sector.
Expressing her zeal towards football and portraying Kolkata's ardent fan following for Italian football, she said: "We have three football clubs — Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammedan Sporting and we love your football, particularly AC Milan."
