Businesses pledge investments at Bengal business summit

Kolkata, Jan 20 (IANS) In response to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's call to investors, several corporate houses on Friday came forward with big investment proposals for the state.

RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group's Chairman Sanjiv Goenka announced a Rs 10,000 crore investment plan in Bengal, while Bharti Enterprises' Vice Chairman Rakesh Bharti Mittal pledged a Rs 3,500 crore investment on Friday.

Similarly, Great Eastern Energy Corporation Ltd's Executive Chairman Yogendra Kumar Modi also announced investments close to Rs 1 billion in a coal bed methane project in the state over the next six years.

Addressing the "Bengal Global Business Summit" here on Friday, the Chief Minister said: "I am appealing to businessmen to come to Bengal. Here all sorts of relief are being given to businessmen."

State-run gas major GAIL also announced an investment of Rs 6,000 crore in Bengal in the next two-three years, including in a gas pipeline project.

Urging investors to invest in Bengal, Goenka said, "In addition to what we have in the state, I am committing another Rs 10,000 crore over the next few years in the newer sector for the group that is FMCG."

"What impressed me was development of infrastructure in the state. Labour problem in Bengal is a thing of the past".

"Airtel, a Bharti Group company, has already invested over Rs 30,000 crore in the state and last year we spent almost Rs 1,500 crore. We are announcing Rs 3,500 crore investment for three years," Mittal said.

Future Group's CEO Kishore Biyani talked about their future plans for the state.

"This year, we have a five-point agenda for the state. We are creating an apparel manufacturing hub for which we have hired the space of two lakh square feet, which will feature latest technology. We have set up a new state-of-the-art logistics hub in Burdwan district," he said.

Biyani said the group has planned to take "Biswa Bangla" concept forward to the national level through a chain of stores.

"The first store will be opened in March-April at Rajarhat in Bengal. We will be sourcing products from self-help groups in Bengal and in the country, which will help 50 lakh women in the state," he added.