বাংলায় পড়ুন
After a four-day stay in Madrid, West Bengal's Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, extended her Spain tour by visiting Barcelona. On Tuesday, she attended a summit at the Grand Via Hall of the El Palace Hotel, where she urged foreign industrialists to consider investing in Bengal.
During this summit, the focus was on Bengal's robust industrial infrastructure and the fertile land for agricultural production. She expressed unwavering confidence in Bengal's leadership role within India and urged investors to explore opportunities in the state, assuring them of a seamless experience from land acquisition to skilled labor and government incentives.
Moreover, Mamata Banerjee highlighted the significant improvements in communication infrastructure within Bengal. The Asian Corridor connects Nepal, Bhutan, India, and Bangladesh, fostering strong ties with neighboring countries. She also emphasized that Bengal offers competitive labor costs, uninterrupted electricity supply, affordable raw materials, and friendly labor relations compared to European countries.
She said, “We empowered the girl child through our Kanyashree Scheme. Earlier, before girls turned 18, their families would be worried about how they would manage their education or marriage. To remedy this, we empowered them from school to college to university… to everywhere. We even provide student credit cards that provide higher education assistance to students.”
She said, “Bengal a Gamechanger for world.” “We are leading the way, and we invite you to invest in our state. You will face no hurdles; we provide everything from land to skilled labor to government support.”
Banerjee also noted that Bengal has witnessed remarkable economic growth, with an 8.41% increase in the state's economy during the 2022–23 fiscal year, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. She projected Bengal's total production to exceed 200 crores in the 2023–24 fiscal year.
She said, “Bengal’s Durga Puja has been included in UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. We earn in billions during the festival. There is manufacturing regulation underway in Bengal. You are already partners in our Book Fair and Film Festival.”
Notable speakers at the summit included Dinesh Pattnaik, the Indian Ambassador to Spain; Harsh Neotia, Chairman of Bengal Industries; Umesh Chowdhary, Vice-Chairman of Tittagad Wagon Limited; Kamal Mittal, an NRI industrialist; Tarun Juneja, Chairman of Phoenicia Limited; and others. All of them advocated the benefits of investing in Bengal during their speeches.
The summit attracted several Bengali expatriates, who were impressed by the Chief Minister's address. They remarked that this was the first time a representative of the West Bengal government had visited Spain. Previously, representatives from the Gujarat government had visited. The expatriates have requested that the Chief Minister bring various companies to Bengal for investment purposes.
On that day, Chief Secretary Harikrishna Dwivedi also started the day by requesting Spanish industrialists to participate in the Bengal Global Business Summit from November 21–23, extending an invitation for them to explore opportunities in Bengal.
Ambuja Neotia, from the prominent Neotia family, praised Mamata Banerjee's leadership. He stated, "The Neotia family has been associated with Bengal for 120 years. But the state's recent progress and the new business opportunities are unprecedented. Production has seen remarkable growth."
On the other hand, Kamal Mittal talked about how they have been manufacturing railway sleepers in Spain for the last 33 years and now plan to expand their operations in Bengal. He highlighted the potential for industrial expansion and new factories in the state.
Mamata's Spain tour had two primary objectives: developing football in Bengal and attracting investments. Before the Barcelona summit, she had attended a commerce conference in Madrid. In her message to Spanish business communities, she said, "Everything is available in Bengal; come and see for yourselves."
The Chief Minister also mentioned that Bengal is now the gateway to North-East India and South-East Asia, with the largest coal block in the world and over 100 industrial parks. Additionally, Bengal has created 900 MSME units, and Mamata Banerjee invited Spanish industrialists to consider expanding their businesses in Bengal, reinforcing the state's position as an investment-friendly destination.
Mamata Banerjee's visit to Spain has clearly opened doors for business collaborations and investments in West Bengal, promising a bright future for the state's economic growth.
