Diplomats' Roundtable in New Delhi: A Prelude to West Bengal Global Business Summit 2025
New Delhi: The West Bengal government, in partnership with FICCI, hosted a diplomats' roundtable meeting today as a prelude to the Bengal Global Business Summit 2025 (BGBS), scheduled for February 5-6, 2025. Ambassadorial representatives from over 42 countries took part in the high-stakes discussion to explore West Bengal as a vibrant investment destination.
At the virtual address of the roundtable meeting, Amit Mitra, principal chief advisor to the chief minister and finance department, emphasized that West Bengal is transforming into a hub for manufacturing and logistics. The state, he said, is shaping a robust job-intensive economy with forward-thinking policies and dynamic leadership.
Chandrima Bhattacharya, minister of state of finance, highlighted West Bengal's offer of seamless connectivity for international trade, abundant natural resources, robust infrastructure, and a skilled workforce. These factors, she argued, make the state an attractive investment destination across diverse sectors.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee held a meeting at Soujanya to discuss the preparedness of BGBS. Senior officials of the state government, including chief secretary Manoj Pant and home secretary Nandini Chakrabarti, participated in the meeting.
The roundtable meeting featured presentations from Vandana Yadav, managing director, West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC), and Mr P Mohangandhi, secretary, department of industry, commerce and enterprises. Diplomats from Europe, CIS, SAARC, Arab and Middle East, Africa, ASEAN, LAC, Oceania, North America, East and Southeast Asia shared their views on potential areas of mutual collaboration to strengthen bilateral ties.
BGBS 2025 promises to bring together policymakers, corporate leaders, business delegations, entrepreneurs, academia, and think tanks from around the world for strategic and business alliances. For its previous edition in 2023, 17 countries participated, highlighting the summit's potential for strengthening regional partnerships.