Kolkata: Senior representatives of 25 countries on Friday expressed their interest to invest in Bengal during an interactive session ahead of the sixth edition of the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS).
The session that was held at Nabanna Sabhaghar and was headed by Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi and virtually addressed by Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister and Finance Department Amit Mitra, saw a host of participants, including Consul Generals, Honorary Consuls and Deputy High Commissioners from 25 countries like Germany, Italy, France, the USA, Russia, Netherlands and Israel.
According to a communiqué issued by the state government, Consul Generals, Honorary Consuls and Deputy High Commissioners have expressed interest to invest in Bengal.
A senior state government officer said that assurances have been given to extend all support to the investors in the state.
This comes when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's aim is to make Bengal the number one state in industry and commerce. The BGBS is going to be held on April 20 and 21 after a gap due to the Covid pandemic. The Consul Generals, Honorary Consuls and Deputy High Commissioners expressed their keen desire to participate in the mega business summit.
Ahead of the BGBS, a total of 11 synergies are going to be held in every district and a separate synergy will be held for North Bengal districts. The synergies are going to begin from Saturday and it would be of North 24-Parganas at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre.
Mitra briefed about the current conducive business policies of the state government that has taken "Bengal into the top of national investment ladder". It needs a mention that the state government has taken the crucial decision of reducing requirement of land to 5 acres from 15 acres for setting up of industrial parks. At the same time, the state government has introduced an ethanol policy that has helped attract investment in the ethanol manufacturing sector with the required raw material — broken rice — something that is easily available in Bengal. At the same time, Bengal has come up as the best state in the country in terms of setting up of Micro, Small and Medium-Scale industries.
The Principal Advisor to the Chief Minister and Finance Department also emphasised the demand on stimulation model followed by the Mamata Banerjee government that increased the purchasing power of people, bringing about inclusive development.
The Chief Secretary asked the countries to collaborate and engage with the state government with the focus sector including infrastructure, urban development, IT and ITeS, education, technical and vocational training, health, tourism, industries along with manufacturing and MSME, agriculture, fisheries, poultry, dairy and dairy processing and exports.
Top brass of different departments, including Suresh Kumar, Vivek Kumar, Nandini Chakraborty, Manish Jain, Rajesh Pandey, Onkar Singh Meena and Vandana Yadav attended the meeting. Concerned departments have been directed to prepare presentations highlighting the achievement and focus areas of their respective sectors. Chambers of Commerce have also been requested to prepare presentations on the sectors they mostly deal with.