West Bengal, a state often ridiculed for its unfriendly business environment, recently managed to secure investment commitments totaling Rs.2,43,100 crore.
The commitments for investment in a wide range of sectors covering heavy engineering, manufacturing, townships, urban infrastructure and utilities, ports, power, energy, healthcare, food processing, animal resources development and fisheries, education, micro, small and medium enterprises, tourism and hospitality, financial services and information technology were made through announcements, document exchanges, expressions of interest and proposals at the Bengal Global Business Summit 2015 held in Kolkata on January 8 & 9.
The Bengal Global Business Summit was organised by the West Bengal government on the lines of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, but on a much smaller scale, with the objective of showcasing the investment opportunities that various sectors offered in the state. While urging investors to come to the state and ride the growth, it attempted to change the general perception that the state was hostile to businesses. Several Indian as well as foreign companies participated in the Summit. Among the countries represented at the event were US, UK, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Luxembourg and Australia.
According to the West Bengal government, the investments finalised during the Summit would lead to job creation for one crore people in the next three years. To ensure smooth implementation of the projects announced at the event, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced the constitution of a dedicated core committee headed by the Minister in charge of Commerce and Industries department with support from the Chief Secretary, other concerned officials and experts.
The next edition of the Bengal Global Business Summit will be held on January 8 & 9, 2016, in Kolkata.
INVESTMENT COMMITMENTS RECEIVED AT BENGAL GLOBAL BUSINESS SUMMIT 2015
|
No.
|
Particulars
|
Amount (Rs. crore)
|
|
1.
|
Heavy Engineering:
|
|
|
SAIL expansion plans
|
40,000
|
|
|
2.
|
Manufacturing:
|
|
|
Private sector investments
|
10,626
|
|
|
3.
|
Townships:
|
|
|
Private sector investments in economic&
growth centres(22 townships by 20 business houses) |
67,703
|
|
|
Private sector investment in smart city (Essel Group)
|
5,000
|
|
|
4.
|
Private sector investments
in urban infrastructure and utilities |
|
|
Essel Group
|
10,000
|
|
|
5.
|
Bhor Sagar Deep Sea Port and Haldia expansion
|
16,400
|
|
6.
|
Highways
|
25,200
|
|
7.
|
Power:
|
|
|
NTPC
|
20,000
|
|
|
Solid waste to power (German consortium)
|
2,900
|
|
|
8.
|
Energy: coal, coal bed methane and
floating regasification |
|
|
Development of Deochapachami coal
mines (six states & SJVN) |
12,000
|
|
|
Private sector investments by
Great Eastern Energy to develop more wells |
1,500
|
|
|
H-Energy: Floating storage and regasification
unit – Offshore Digha |
5,100
|
|
|
9.
|
Healthcare
|
2,710
|
|
10.
|
Food Processing, ARD and Fisheries
|
1,605
|
|
11.
|
Higher Education/School Education and Skills
|
1,438
|
|
12.
|
MSME sector
|
17,657
|
|
13.
|
Tourism and Hospitality
|
1,950
|
|
14.
|
Financial Services
|
1,088
|
|
15.
|
IT
|
223
|
|
Total
|
2,43,100
|
Source: Government of West Bengal
