WB CM to showcase Bengal for investments in London

WB CM to showcase Bengal for investments in London

Posted on July 17, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee would visit the UK to showcase the state as an ideal destination for investment. She will be leading a 37-member official delegation to London on July 26 for her five-day visit to the UK and would return to Kolkata on July 30.

The Chief Minister’s visit would begin with a conference of British CEOs during her interaction at the UK India Business Council.

The West Bengal Chief Minister will meet Prince Andrew at Buckingham Palace during her visit to London this month.

Baroness Frances D’Souza, the Speaker of the House of Lords, and Priti Patel, an Indian-origin minister of state for employment, are among the others scheduled to meet West Bengal Chief Minister, who will leave for the UK on July 26.

The next day, July 27, the West Bengal Chief Minister will attend a meeting organised by the UK-India Business Council and FICCI at an event in the UK foreign office.

On July 28, the West Bengal Chief Minister will hold meetings with the Indian business delegation and their MoU partners in the UK. She will also attend a cultural programme at the Natural History Museum.

The next day, she will meet the directors of Asia House, a non-profit organisation. The Indian High Commission will host a reception for Mamata.

The West Bengal Chief Minister is also scheduled to visit the recently unveiled statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Parliament Square, London and pay homage.

She will fly back to Kolkata on July 30.

World-class Public Health Institute coming up in Bengal

Posted on June 25, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The West Bengal Government has decided to constitute a global advisory group for developing an institute of public health at Nadia’s Kalyani. The group will comprise Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and other educationists who are experts in public health. The institute will be developed as a world-class global centre of education and research in public health.

“An Institute of Public Health is being set up at Kalyani, Nadia. The Institute will develop as a global centre to address key areas of education, research and policy formulations in public health and related subjects,” Mamata Banerjee posted on facebook on Wednesday.

Mamata added, “To make the Institute a world-class centre, we have decided to constitute a Global Advisory Group with eminent persons. They are Prof. Dr. Amartya Sen, Prof Abhijit Binayak Banerjee of MIT, Prof. Sir Michael Marmot, Director, University College of London Institute of Health Equity, Prof. Lincoln Chenn, Chairman, China Medical Board in US, Harvard School of Public Health, Massachusetts, Prof. Grant Miller, Director, Stanford Centre for International Development, Prof. K. Srinath Reddy, President Public Health Foundation of India and Ms. K. Sujatha Rao, Ex Union Health Secretary.”

The state is developing Kalyani as a theme-based township. The town already has several plots earmarked for residential and commercial purposes. The CM has named the theme township ‘Samriddhi’

The government recently took the decision to set up the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Kalyani. The government has allotted 180 acres of land, worth Rs 57 crore, to set up the hospital.

Besides this, the state will develop Kalyani as an analytical city covering over 50 acres of land. Bengal expects to draw Rs 3000 crore of investment from the project.

Kalyani Analytics Hub raises industry hope

Posted on June 20, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The proposed analytics city in Kalyani is likely to attract investments of more than Rs 3,000 crore in next three years. In the first phase, being developed over 52 acres off Kalyani Expressway, the hub will accommodate academic, residential and commercial centers apart from real estate projects.

According to Kallol Dutta, the immediate past president of BCCI, the original plan is to set it up on 250 acres. In that case, the investment will go up to Rs 6,000 crore.

Holistic solution to consumers

While MNCs in the field of banking, insurance, retail, telecom and automotive industries have in-house data and analytics facilities, there is no analytic hub that can provide holistic solution to analytics consumers. While a number of small boutique analytics service providers have come up in the country, the state is looking at bringing the majors under one umbrella.

With research facilities being proposed inside the city, there are proposals to tie up with the education institutions. Apart from universities in the country, efforts are on to tie up with foreign universities. Apart from organizing road shows, chief minister Mamata Banerjee will showcase the project during her visit to London.

Data and analytics, which require strong science, puts India in an advantageous position with a ready talent pool. “We have a large talent pool in Bengal who work in other cities. The analytics city will have access to the talent pool available within the state,” Sen said.

Excerpted from a story that appeared on The Times of India on 20.06.2015

‘Biswa Bangla’ brand to be taken overseas

Posted on June 20, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

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’.

Industrialists hopeful of CM’s London visit

Posted on June 19, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Industrialists in the state have pinned immense hope in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s visit to London end of July which is aimed at inviting investment from industrialists of Europe.

On the invitation of British Prime Minister David Cameron, the West Bengal Chief Minister is leaving for London on July 27 along with a delegation of West Bengal Finance, Industries and Commerce Minister Dr Amit Mitra, senior government officials, industrialists – Sanjeev Goenka, Karan Paul to name a few – and three of her party MPs, Dev, Sugata Bose and Derek O’Brien.

“Winds of Change are blowing in West Bengal under the dynamic leadership of our Hon’ble Chief Minister. Her forthcoming visit to United Kingdom will prove to be a milestone in putting Bengal in International Radar. The visit of UK Prime Minister David Cameron in 2013, the first ever visit of any UK Prime Minister in Bengal itself raised the bars – the significance, Bengal now commands globally. Bengal which has a long historic association, relation and affinity with Britain will immensely benefit from this visit. There are many areas to embrace such as Infrastructural Development, Tourism, Education, River front beautification etc which can bring a radical change in Bengal. London known for its historic legacies is brimful of heritage buildings and edifices. The technology and knowhow adopted towards its restoration can be assimilated in maintenance of our Heritage Buildings. Modern London is also bustling with latest technological innovations and implementation which can pave the way for our infrastructural growth,” Sanjay Budhia, eminent industrialist of Kolkata, who is likely to accompany the Chief Minister said in a statement.

Echoed Harsh Neotia, another eminent industrialist, who is also going with the Chief Minister. ” The visit will play a big role in creating interest among foreign investors about West Bengal and the investment opportunities here,” Neotia told Echo of India. Prior to London, Mamata visited Singapore where she invited industrialists of that country to invest in West Bengal.

ADB loan push for state corridor

Posted on June 10, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

The Mamata Banerjee government has got another big boost before the chief minister’s London visit on July.

The screening committee of the Department of Economic Affairs under the union Finance Ministry has cleared loan approval of receiving $500 million Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan to the West Bengal government for setting up the 231 km long North South corridor from East Midnapore to Murshidabad that will cross six districts and move parallel to NH-34.

This is the highest amount of ADB loan granted for any ADB-assisted single project in the country. The total cost of the project, to be executed by the West Bengal Highway Development Corporation Limited (WBHDCL) is estimated as Rs 4,696 crore.

The corridor would help to remove the critical bottlenecks in freight movement not only from the northern parts of the state and north eastern states of the country but also from the neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Nepal to Haldia and Paradeep.

About the corridor

According to the plan, the corridor will run across six districts on the western side of the Ganges parallel to NH-34 and would serve at least 40% of the total population of the state, connecting a 231 km stretch from Mechogram near Haldia in East Midnapore to Morgram near Jangipur in Murshidabad.

The corridor will connect the important national highways of NH-6, NH-2, NH-60 and NH-34. The corridor will also reduce travel distance of Morgramm – Haldia port for about 60 km and will reduce about three hours of travel time in comparison to NH-34.

Kharagpur and the south west part of the country will get shorter connectivity to north east in addition to the faster connectivity to Haldia from states like Bihar, Jharkhand and the north eastern states along with Nepal and Bhutan.

The story was originally published in The Times of India on 10 June, 2015

Hinduja praises WB CM’s industry initiatives

Posted on June 9, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

Gopichand Hinduja has heaped praise on West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee for her determination to attract industry in Bengal.

In an interview to a popular daily, he said WB CM “is trying hard to attract industry and investment to her state.”

“She is a good leader and has a clean image. I am certain she will become Chief Minister again after this term ends. Her intentions are clear – she wants to attract industry into Bengal,” he added.

Hinduja, who has a strong foothold in Bengal with the presence of Ashok Leyland, Hinduja Leyland finance and IndusInd Bank, had encouraging words for finance minister Dr Amit Mitra as well. “The finance minister knows how reforms can benefit the state,” he said.

“Mamata Banerjee is one of India’s prominent political leaders. Prime Minister David Cameron must meet her,” he added.

In fact, WB CM could become the first high level politician from India to meet David Cameron after his recent reelection as Britain’s PM.

WB CM will be in UK from July 26-30. This will be her second foreign visit as the chief minister of Bengal.

Didi wishes David Cameron with a hand-written note

Posted on May 25, 2015 | by admin2 | Leave a Comment

West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee has sent a hand-written congratulatory note to David Cameron after he returned to 10 Downing Street for his second term as Britain’s prime minister.

The gesture – WB CM was the only head of an Indian state to congratulate Mr Cameron – is expected to go a long way in strengthening ties between Britain and Bengal.

When WB CM arrives in Britain on July 26, she will also become the first chief minister from India to hold a bilateral meeting with Cameron in his second term. It will be Mamata Banerjee’s second business trip, and her first to UK, since taking over office.

The British Prime Minister, who met Ms Mamata Banerjee during his Kolkata trip in 2013, had personally invited the CM.

“Kolkata is expanding and there is huge need for infrastructure development and town planning in which Britain has tremendous expertise. You also need to clean up your rivers and waterways, just like we had to do with the Thames,” David Cameron had said.