It seems Singapore’s iconic Merlion has blessed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s high-profile delegation right from Day 1. The CM’s investment-hunting tour to Singapore got off to a dream start on Monday with the GIC Group, the big-ticket investment company, committing to explore in detail the many investment opportunities in West Bengal’s bankable projects.
An official announcement on GIC is expected on August 21. ‘If GIC invests, Bengal will change.
Earlier, GIC was looking only at countries like the USA and Japan. Now, it is looking at India. The projects it may invest in could be construction, food processing and manufacturing,’ said West Bengal Finance Minister, industry veteran and world-class economist Amit Mitra, who is leading the delegation. Among the bevy of corporate honchos who attended the historic meeting with GIC was ITC Executive Director Kurush Grant. ‘The meeting was very positive. I think there is now a change in attitude and Brand Bengal is making its mark,’ remarked a beaming Grant.
Singapore’s Changi group has already made an investment in West Bengal — in the airport city coming up at Andal near Kolkata.
Banerjee, on her maiden foreign trip after forming the state Government in 2011, also expressed satisfaction at the developments on the first day of her five-day visit to the city state, which boasts one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. She is scheduled to call on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday, it is reported.
Banerjee, who is also accompanied by Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra, industrialist Sanjay Budhia and several other industry-commerce leaders, and actor-cum-MP Dev, is visiting Singapore on the invitation of its Minister for Foreign Affairs K Shanmugam.
The Chief Minister is expected to deliver the keynote address at the West Bengal Business Forum on August 20.The Forum is organised by the Singapore Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (SICCI), with the partnership of state-trade agency IE Singapore, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI).
The industries represented in the delegation accompanying Banerjee include energy, real estate, hospitality, entertainment, manufacturing, tea, civil aviation and, yes, information technology.
Banerjee will use her visit to Singapore, one of the world’s top financial hubs, to attract foreign investment to West Bengal, Finance Minister Mitra had said ahead of their departure for the city state. The delegation is scheduled to return to Kolkata along with the CM on Friday.
An official announcement on GIC is expected on August 21. ‘If GIC invests, Bengal will change.
Earlier, GIC was looking only at countries like the USA and Japan. Now, it is looking at India. The projects it may invest in could be construction, food processing and manufacturing,’ said West Bengal Finance Minister, industry veteran and world-class economist Amit Mitra, who is leading the delegation. Among the bevy of corporate honchos who attended the historic meeting with GIC was ITC Executive Director Kurush Grant. ‘The meeting was very positive. I think there is now a change in attitude and Brand Bengal is making its mark,’ remarked a beaming Grant.
Singapore’s Changi group has already made an investment in West Bengal — in the airport city coming up at Andal near Kolkata.
Banerjee, on her maiden foreign trip after forming the state Government in 2011, also expressed satisfaction at the developments on the first day of her five-day visit to the city state, which boasts one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. She is scheduled to call on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday, it is reported.
Banerjee, who is also accompanied by Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra, industrialist Sanjay Budhia and several other industry-commerce leaders, and actor-cum-MP Dev, is visiting Singapore on the invitation of its Minister for Foreign Affairs K Shanmugam.
The Chief Minister is expected to deliver the keynote address at the West Bengal Business Forum on August 20.The Forum is organised by the Singapore Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (SICCI), with the partnership of state-trade agency IE Singapore, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI).
The industries represented in the delegation accompanying Banerjee include energy, real estate, hospitality, entertainment, manufacturing, tea, civil aviation and, yes, information technology.
Banerjee will use her visit to Singapore, one of the world’s top financial hubs, to attract foreign investment to West Bengal, Finance Minister Mitra had said ahead of their departure for the city state. The delegation is scheduled to return to Kolkata along with the CM on Friday.