Mamta Banerjee Invites Italian Companies to Invest in West Bengal

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee has invited Italian companies to invest in Bengal and assured them of all government support.

Speaking at the business meet in Milan (Itlay), jointly organized by ASSOLOMBARDA, Italian Trade Commission, FICCI and the Bengal Government, Banerjee said the mix of Itlay expertise in technology and Bengal expertise in steel and mining would take the growth of both the countries on different trajectory.

Banerjee, who is on a 12-day visit Europe since September 16 to attract investment, had earlier been to Germany.

She said “if you have the vision, Bengal has the mission, if you have the action, Bengal has the reaction, if you have the technology, Bengal has the manpower.”

At the business meet there were detailed discussions on the possibilities of investment from Italy in sectors like infrastructure, manufacturing, design and innovation, ICT, leather, textiles, agro-processing, tourism and automobiles.

She spoke on the strengths of Bengal and on the synergies that Italy and Bengal can create in various sectors.

Expressing interest in building up further bilateral relation with Itlay, Banerjee said that relation between Itlay and Bengal can be scaled up. Itlay can become a major partner in setting up design centres, where Bengal is heading towards.

"Bengal is strategically located and an ideal destination for investments. We are number one in MSME and the GSDP is higher than that of India during 2017-18", she added.

She further added that Bengal has a higher growth in every sector, from agriculture to industry to services. Italy has great experience in various technical fields whereas Bengal has skilled manpower, an aspect in which we are number one in India.

Bengal has talented manpower at a price which is cheaper than in other parts of India, and the world as well. Bengal leads in education and culture. In skilled manpower, the MSME sector and e-governance, we are number one in India. In ease of doing business too, we are number one, Banerjee pointed.

She said Bengal believes that Bengal means business. It is the gateway to South and South-East Asia – to Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur.

This is why Bengal has a major role to play. Bengal serves as a major hub in the trade route to south-east Asian countries, to the landlocked nations of Nepal and Bhutan, and to north-east India too – the eight sister States, she added.