The sixth edition of the Summit would be held amongst much expectation on the 20th and 21st of April at Kolkata. No doubt, the heavyweight for the Summit would have been higher had Trinamool won Goa and Yogi lost in U.P. Nonetheless, the ruling party’s decisive win in the Asansol and Ballygunge bypolls have sent a strong message that no matter what happens elsewhere in the country, West Bengal would largely remain unaffected with a stable government led by Mamata Banerjee. The Summit was suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid and is resumed now.
According to the government, BGBS 2019 has attracted over 4000 delegates, including 450 international delegates from 35 countries. The business proposed in the earlier five editions of BGBS amounts to INR 12,35,578 crore. I take them at face value without getting into the nitty-gritty of the value of the government-sponsored infrastructure projects included in the quoted figures.
The two-day Summit will have plenary sessions, sectoral sessions, B2G and B2B interactions, apart from providing digital space for exhibitions and business networking. The focus sector includes Infrastructure, Agri & Allied activities, Industries including MSME, Services including Health and Education, Tourism, International trade, IT& ITeS and Mining. Several foreign delegations will be present at the Summit, and I had a fruitful meeting today with a delegate from the EU.
The sixth edition of BGBS has FICCI and CII as its Business Partners and KPMG, EY, PWC and CRISIL as its Knowledge Partners. WBIDC and its partners will provide all assistance and handholding support to businesses intending to establish their footprint in the State.
Industrialization is the only way forward in a State which has more contribution from the farm sector (23%) than industries, 20%, and services 57%. Given the Trinamool supremo’s aspirations of an elevation into a pan-India leadership, the State must exhibit an industry-friendly image and prove it. However, it is not an easy task.
The Summit will probably see biggies like Adani and Ambani, who the State leaders once whiplashed as being Prime Minister Modi’s men. Like the politicians, the State must realize that the business leaders can shift their loyalties wherever the returns are assured. Adani might have been awarded the tender for building Tajpur port in West Bengal and could be the biggest single investment heard so far after the unceremonious booting out of Tata Motors from Singur.
Much of the people’s suffering and the agitational politics would end when the revenue earning helps to govern better. There must be a determination that should percolate through the rank and file of the administration and not confine to the dreams of the West Bengal CM alone.
Notwithstanding the political affiliations, everyone must contribute to building a strong Bengal that would end a lot of negativities we witness now. A classic example is Bangladesh, which from 1971 has moved up tremendously, surpassing even the GDP of Pakistan, due to a focused growth plan.
I wish the Summit all success.
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide Voix
