Kolkata: IKEA, a home furnishing company with global presence, has expressed its interest to invest in Bengal. The company has written to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, seeking her appointment for a discussion in this connection.
The company, for which India has been a part of its global supply chain for the past 30 years, has stated in the letter that "West Bengal is one of the key markets in IKEA's plans in India and we would like to start working in your state for establishing IKEA expansion plans. Each IKEA store in your state will be an investment of Rs 1,000 crore, generating employment of 800 directly and 1,200 indirectly. The store will be built over 4 lakh square feet of area. We see West bengal as a market for 1-2 IKEA stores and touch points, which means investment of more than Rs 2,000 crore."
It was also stated in the letter that the purpose of the meeting with the Chief Minister is to introduce the company and the plan of the company as well. The meeting would take place in mid May.
It may be mentioned that Banerjee has taken up several initiatives to attract investment in the state. Entrepreneurs from many countries had visited the Bengal Global Business Summit held in January and it has helped to make the entire world know about the potential of the state and the basic infrastructure available in Bengal, which is essential for setting up industries.