Corporate leaders hail Bengal’s business climate, pro-active approach of state govt

Kolkata, Dec 18 (PTI) Top industry leaders on Thursday lauded the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government for maintaining a “favourable” business climate, as several companies announced expansion and fresh investment plans during a conclave here.

The senior company officials and several prominent organisations hailed the state government’s “proactive” approach, citing policy stability, swift decision-making and administrative support, as they came together for the two-day Business and Industry Conclave 2025, a scaled-down version of the Bengal Global Business Summit, due to the 2026 assembly elections.

Banerjee, speaking at the occasion, called for greater freedom and autonomy for industries and the working class.

The CM deliberated on issues surrounding the GST, and also accused central agencies of creating an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, which she said was hurting business sentiment, particularly among the small and medium enterprises.

Banerjee alleged that repeated “disturbances through agencies” left entrepreneurs scared and reluctant to invest.

She asserted that growth and job creation cannot thrive in an “environment of intimidation”, and insisted that genuine development requires autonomy for both the industry and labour.

Responding to opposition claims of a deteriorating business climate, the chief minister said there were “forces trying to defame West Bengal” by highlighting isolated incidents.

She said the state’s performance over the last 14 years act as a rebuttal to such allegations, and emphasised peace and unity as essential for sustained development.

Speaking at the conclave, RPSG Group Chairman Sanjiv Goenka credited Banerjee’s “decisive leadership” for facilitating rapid investments, and stated that the group has already invested Rs 26,500 crore in West Bengal during her tenure.

The cornerstone of RPSG Group’s proposed investment is a 5,000 megawatt-hour energy storage project, involving an outlay of Rs 12,000 crore.

During Goenka’s address, Banerjee assured that 350 acres of land would be allotted soon, despite an initial requirement of 600 acres, and asked officials to place the proposal before the next cabinet.

JSW Energy, part of the Sajjan Jindal Group, announced plans to double the capacity of its Salboni thermal power project to 3,200 MW.

Joint Managing Director and CEO Sharad Mahendra said the group’s total investment in the state would rise to Rs 40,000 crore from Rs 16,000 crore, adding that the company was comfortable scaling up investments under the present government.

Port-related investments, however, were not part of the announcement.

Harshvardhan Neotia of the Ambuja Neotia Group said it has invested Rs 10,000 crore in West Bengal over the past 14 years, and has Rs 15,000 crore of investments under implementation across healthcare, hospitality and real estate.

Siddharth Birla of Xpro India announced a fresh expansion at the company’s Barjora plant, which manufactures dielectric films as import substitutes.

ITC Ltd Chairman Sanjiv Puri highlighted the company’s expanding footprint in West Bengal across hotels, FMCG and technology. ITC has invested around USD 1 billion in the state over the past decade in various expansions and works with nearly three lakh farmers, he said.

“Capital flows to regions where it can flourish and multiply. Bengal is now future-ready,” Puri said, citing governance and opportunity as key drivers behind ITC’s expansion.

ITC announced plans to set up three new hotels in Darjeeling, Kurseong and the Sundarbans, along with five more properties through partners, including a super-luxury hotel under a new brand in Siliguri.

Puri also said ITC inaugurated an AI centre in the state last year in partnership with Google to develop digital solutions and position Bengal as an emerging hub for AI-led innovation. He credited state initiatives for boosting tourism, noting that West Bengal now ranks second in attracting foreign visitors.

The JK Organisation Group said it has food processing units in the state, and have acquired a paper unit for expansion.

The chief minister also announced a series of government-led initiatives, including World Bank-assisted projects, the Cinema Policy 2025, a 660-MW Sagardighi supercritical power project (Unit 5), several industrial parks and 14 common facility centres across districts at the conclave,which will conclude on Friday. PTI BSM RBT