Bengal received investment proposals worth ₹4.40 lakh crore at the business summit, said Mamata Banerjee

On Thursday, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that West Bengal received investment proposals worth more than Rs 4.40 lakh crore during the two-day business summit this year. She said that the state remains a "prime destination" for investors. Addressing the closing session of the summit, Banerjee said that a total of 212 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and Letters of Intent were signed in various sectors, which is a symbol of the strong investment climate of the state.

She said about the summit, "We have received investment proposals worth Rs 4,40,595 crore during this event. This will create thousands of employment opportunities in West Bengal." Banerjee also credited her government's development efforts for lifting 1.72 crore people above the poverty line since 2011. "Our focus on infrastructure, industry, and social welfare has led to significant progress," she said. The last edition of the BGBS, held in 2023, had received investment proposals worth Rs 3.76 lakh crore, reflecting the steady growth of the state's economy.

Highlighting the success of previous summits, the chief minister said the last seven BGBS editions have seen investments worth Rs 19 lakh crore, of which work worth Rs 13 lakh crore has already been completed. "This significant progress underlines the state's commitment to fulfilling investment promises and its growing attractiveness as a business hub," she said. A major highlight of this year's summit was the investment commitment from Reliance Industries, whose chairman Mukesh Ambani pledged to invest Rs 50,000 crore in the state by the end of the decade.

"In less than a decade, our investment in Bengal has grown 20 times and we have invested over Rs 50,000 crore. We will double this investment by the end of this decade, creating over one lakh direct jobs," Ambani said at the event on Wednesday. JSW Group chairman Sajjan Jindal also announced an investment of Rs 16,000 crore to develop a 1,600 MW power project at Salboni. There are plans to double its capacity in the future. Banerjee said the summit was also attended by representatives from 20 partner countries and 20 additional countries.

"The response has been very good. Yesterday, leading industrialists like Mukesh Ambani and Sajjan Jindal shared their investment plans. I have had separate discussions with them and received further assurances about investments," the chief minister said. Banerjee also informed that the summit also included a large exhibition with 215 stalls showcasing various industries. "Our infrastructure development in the last 14 years has been remarkable. We do not create divisions among people. Bengal is the heart of culture and 5,000 investors and delegates have attended this summit," the CM said.