Advantage Bengal – The New Growth Engine of India
Bengal has multiple advantages as an investment destination – be it strategic location, robust physical infrastructure, economic power or culture. Listed below are the factors linked to each of these aspects.
Strategic Location
· Gateway to eastern and south-eastern Asia and north-eastern India
· Shares international borders with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan
· Well-connected with the booming hubs of Asia such as Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia
· Hinterland comprises mineral-rich states such as Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh
· Encompasses a wide range of landscapes, from mountains (Himalayas) and their foothill regions (Dooars) to plains to deltaic region (Sundarbans) to sea beaches (coast of Bay of Bengal)
Infrastructure
· Roads: Third largest road network in India – more than 3,15,404 km
· Marine: Richly endowed with natural maritime advantages, has 950 km of waterfront
· Air connectivity: Three airports – one international (Kolkata) and three domestic (Kolkata, Andal, Bagdogra)
· Inland waterways: Leading in the country in terms of spread, density and reach of National Inland Waterways
· Railway: About 4,000 km of railway tracks
· Metro railway: Second largest Metro railway network in India
Leading Growth Engine of the Country
· Power: Largest power distributor in the country, both in terms of quality and quantity
· MSME (value): At US$ 15 billion, Bengal is the recipient of India’s highest bank credit flow to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) from 2011-12 (when Trinamool Congress came to power) to 2015-16
· MSME (quantity): State with second largest number of MSMEs (worth US$ 3.7 million enterprises)
· Vegetable production: Highest producer of vegetables
· Tea production: Second highest tea producer; home to the GI-registered world-famous Darjeeling Tea
· Mineral production: Third largest mineral producer, accounting for about one-fifth of the total mineral production
· Man-days lost: Zero man-days lost during the last six years
· Wi-Fi connectivity: Kolkata is the first metro city in India with Wi-Fi connectivity on 4G
Rich Culture
· Birthplace of modern Indian literary and artistic thought
· Kolkata is referred to as the ‘Cultural Capital of India’
· Pioneer of cosmopolitan culture in the country
· Land of Mother Teresa, Rabindranath Tagore, Satyajit Ray and many more icons
Welcoming all industry leaders, entrepreneurs and country representatives to Bengal Global Business Summit #BGBS2018 #BengalMeansBusiness
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 16, 2018
BengalBizSummit If there was a slogan writing contest, Mr Mukesh Ambani would get my prize — Bengal will be Best Bengal! Mr N Hirandani was not bad too! Mamataji is Super Kay Upar pic.twitter.com/woeTKVJSMh
— Monideepa Banerjie (@Monideepa62) January 16, 2018
Stunning convention centre. Best in the world. Yes. #BengalMeansBusiness Jan 16-17 Starts at 1130 this Tuesday morning pic.twitter.com/0wEdlNYYBY
— Derek O'Brien (@derekobrienmp) January 16, 2018
#BengalMeansBusiness #BGBS2018 begins with the National Anthem. @MamataOfficial on stage with delegates pic.twitter.com/SZOcQmZMVh
— AITC (@AITCofficial) January 16, 2018
