‘Biswa Bangla’ brand to be taken overseas

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday said the ‘Biswa Bangla’ brand, under which all handloom and handicraft products of the state are being sold, would soon be taken overseas.

Stores selling products under the brand would be opened in London and China and talks are on in this regard, Ms Banerjee said after inaugurating a ‘Biswa Bangla’ store at Bagdogra airport near here.

This is the fifth ‘Biswa Bangla’ store. The first four had been opened in Kolkata – at the NSC Bose International Airport, Dumdum Domestic Airport, Dakshinapan shopping complex and Biswa Bangla Haat at Rajarhat.

These stalls would revive handloom and handicrafts industries of the state and those involved in these industries would be benefited, Banerjee said.

“Biswa Bangla has achieved success. Foreign and international tourists are buying its products from the stall in Kolkata airport,” she said.

Products like dress materials and readymade garments in traditional Bengali handloom, household items, food and sweets, Darjeeling tea, handicrafts from various districts of the state other items are being sold in these stores.

Earlier, these items were sold by various organisations under different brand names. The Mamata Banerjee government has brought them under a single umbrella organisation and brand name, ‘Biswa Bangla’.

Chinese tour operators to visit Bengal tourist spots for international promotion

Around 20 tour operators from Kunming in China are coming to see the tourist spots of the West Bengal to promote tourism from that country to Bengal.

State Finance Minister Dr Amit Mitra recently led a delegation to participate in the third China South Asia Business Forum and Expo that was held from 11 to 13 June at Kunming to showcase Bengal as an investment-friendly state.

Dr Mitra said Chinese tourists go for bulk bookings. “We hope that the Chinese tour operators find the state a prospective tourist destination and inflow of Chinese tourists to Bengal increases,” he said. Moreover, there is a direct flight between Kolkata and Kunming and the journey takes just around two hours, he added.

This apart, the State Government has been allotted space in an industrial park in Kunming to showcase handicraft products from Bengal. It will be a permanent stall and it will help in making Bengal products available in Chinese markets.

Bengal products on China shelves

Bengal products will now be found in Chinese markets -courtesy an MoU between Biswa Bangla Corporation and Haohong Logistics Corporation, a unit of the billion Yuan Haohong Group.

Two way trade

Biswa Bangla Corporation, developed by the Mamata Banerjee government, will have a permanent stall at Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, to showcase Bengal products.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Yunnan governor Chen Hao, union minister of state for external affairs and Bengal finance and industries minister Amit Mitra. The Haohong Group has allotted a 100 sq m area in its industrial park.

Dr Mitra said: “Bengal handicrafts will now be available in China. This is a major step.”

Boost to tourism

The West Bengal tourism department also expects better inflow of Chinese tourists to Bengal following an MoU with the Yunnan provincial tourism corporation. The agreement was signed after chairman of West Bengal chapter, Indian Tour Operators Association, Debajit Dutta made a presentation on Bengal tourism.

Stronger ties between sister cities

 

Another MOU was signed between MSME Technology Centre and Kunming SME financial transaction service, which will act as the backbone for SME infrastructure in Bengal, said state MSME secretary Rajiva Sinha.

Earlier Kunming governor expressed interest in setting up an industrial park in Bengal which he feels should strengthen relationship with Yunnan.

Dr Mitra later said that the Yunnan governor has agreed to send an investors’ delegation to the next Bengal business summit. Mitra urged Yunnan investors to invest in the upcoming Bengal townships, one of the pet projects of chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

“We are building 22 smart cities on private-public partnership. I would request Chinese companies to invest here. Yunnan is very strong in food processing and cold storage infrastructure. We would require investment in these sectors as well,” he added.

Amit Mitra leads Team Bengal at China

State finance and industries minister Amit Mitra is in China today to attract investment for Bengal as well as strengthen the much talked about Kolkata-Kunming connectivity.

Dr Mitra is accompanied by an Indian Chamber of Commerce delegation. Dr Mitra said that India will be the partner country of the 3rd China South Asia Expo in Kunming, and Bengal will be the focus state.

Bengal had a 450 sq m stall at the venue with 28 stalls displaying the potential of Bengal. On Friday, Dr Mitra will address the joint opening ceremony of the expo. “There will be a special cultural programme from Bengal,” he added.

There will be business-to-business meetings with Chinese counterparts as well.

Amit Mitra to lead Team Bengal at China expo

State Finance, Industries and Commerce Minister Dr Amit Mitra will lead a delegation to the third China South Asia Business Forum and Expo to be held between June 11 and 16 at Kunming, China to showcase West Bengal as an investment-friendly state.

Promoting Bengal

The government would participate in the expo in a big way to showcase Bengal. The governor of Yunnan had earlier invited the West Bengal government officials to showcase the state in China.

The government will put up 28 stalls in the expo focusing on industry , tourism and food processing.

Dr Mitra will lead the state delegation along with senior officials of food processing, industries, tourism and micro, small and medium enterprises departments. WBIDC and industry representatives will also accompany him.

Bilateral ties

The state government is already working on a project to restore the old Chinatown in Tiretta Bazaar through preservation of the historic character of the place, by revitalizing the area into a street food hub and introducing a night market that could attract tourists from China to come and have a look at.

MoUs will also be signed between tour operators of Kunming and West Bengal that will help them exchange familiarization visits.

Already, the West Bengal Incentive Scheme 2015 has come into effect in consultation with travel and tour operators’ associations and industry stakeholders. Apart from usual incentives, provisions for granting tourism promotion assistance at the rate of 75% of VAT for five years and entitlement of additional floor area ratio for mega tourism units have come as a big boost to investment in the tourism sector.

Sister cities

Kolkata and Kunming are now dubbed as sister cities and there is already a direct flight between the two cities with flight timing of just over two hours. The frequency can also be raised.

This year, West Bengal tourism will be repositioned in the international and domestic tour and travel sector with a new brand logo. Having a state delegation led by the finance minister and senior bureaucrats and industrialists will only further help in showcasing the state in this sector.

Chinese delegation shows interest to invest in Bengal

A Chinese delegation from Yunnan province has shown interest in exploring investment opportunities in West Bengal.

State finance minister Amit Mitra said that 16 member delegation from China has come along with 10 from the private sector and they have expressed interest in a few sectors including bicycle and pumps.

The delegation also took a visit to Kharagpur industrial park.

Mitra said West Bengal will participate in the Kunming trade fair and they (Chinese) have assured to participate in the global business summit organised by the state government.