August 27, 2014
Meeting of WB CM with industrialists was positive: Amit Mitra
West Bengal Chief Minister Ms MamataBanerjee chaired a meeting at Nabanna with the top industrialists earliertoday. The delegation of industrialists had accompanied the Chief Minister onher visit to Singapore.
This is probably the first instance when the ChiefMinister met the delegation of industrialists at the state Secretariat,Nabanna. About 45 industrialists from various sectors were present in themeeting today.
Highlightsof the meeting
The Minister of Finance, IT, Industries andCommerce, Dr Amit Mitra addressed the press after the 2-hour long meeting. Hesaid that the meeting was extremely positive and a roadmap for future was inthe making.
“The talks with industrialists willcontinue. Structures will be developed. In the next meeting ideas will beexchanged. Representatives of several sectors were present today. A roadmap isbeing developed. We have to crystallize the ideas,” he said.
Thanking the Captains of the Industryresponded to the Chief Minister's invitation and spending two hours today forthe meeting, the Industry Minister said, “The process of industrialization haspicked up pace after Singapore trip. A lot of suggestions and proposals havecome from different sectors. We will crystalize those ideas and share onSeptember 5.”
The delegation of industrialists has toldus they are getting good feedback from Singapore. A dialogue has begun, hesaid.
Successstory at Singapore
The West Bengal Government is keeping nostone unturned to follow up the process of industrialization in the state,which also received a positive response in the Singapore Business Meet.
Singapore's Government InvestmentCorporation (GIC) will invest for a planned town in Kolkata through privateequity HDFC Property Fund, while InfraCo Asia will help develop a food park.The GIC will build a 262-acre township called 'Calcutta Riverside', which willincorporate a medical college and a corporate hospital, a school, a cricket andfootball academy, a film city, other social infrastructure, along withresidential facilities.
The sovereign wealth fund will alsoparticipate in the development of a 7.4 km elevated road (in association withL&T) that will provide vital connectivity to the south/south west ofKolkata. When complete, Calcutta Riverside will represent an investment ofapproximately USD 1 billion in West Bengal, said a statement issued by thestate government.
The InfraCo Asia of Singapore, in association with Kolkata-based KeventerAgro Ltd, will build a food park at Dankuni worth nearly Rs 1,000 crore. AxsysCompass Energy Pte Ltd, a Singapore-based engineering design, in associationwith Compass Energy Pvt Ltd, will work on ship building and oil and gas explorationsectors in Bengal
Singapore-based Williams Sonoma Inc andObeetee Inc have been vested with the responsibility to identify and promotetextiles and crafts in Bengal with a revenue goal of $10 million per year. Theinitiative involves manufacturing of home furnishings products in Bengal andinternationally retailing them through Williams Sonoma stores. The stategovernment will provide necessary assistance in identifying the relevantcentres of excellence in manufacturing.
