Mamata Banerjee Hails Bengal's Rise as 'Powerhouse of Growth and Opportunity' After Eighth Edition of Global Business Summit

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday hailed her government's eighth edition of BengaL Global Business Summit (BGBS) 2025 a huge success, saying the state has emerged as "a powerhouse of growth and opportunity" with the lifting of 1.72 crore people out of poverty.

The two-day summit yielded 212 MoUs and Letters of Intent with investment proposals amounting to Rs 4,40,595 crore, Banerjee said in a post on X, expressing pride over this year's BGBS achievements. "Yesterday, as I stood at the Bengal Global Business Summit, surrounded by policymakers, corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and global visionaries, I saw a dream unfolding before my eyes," she said.

The chief minister credited her government's efforts to steer Bengal towards a future of prosperity since assuming office in 2011 and recollected the words of social reformer Gopal Krishna Gokhale as he had envisioned a state where every resident could proudly say, "What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow."

Banerjee also highlighted key initiatives such as coal extraction at Deocha Pachami in Birbhum, unlocking vast reserves to fuel Bengal's industrial future and oil exploration at Ashoknagar that will place the state on India's petroleum map.

"Additionally, oil exploration at Ashoknagar will place Bengal firmly on India's petroleum map. The dream of 'Biswa Bangla', a Bengal that leads by example, a Bengal that is future-ready, a Bengal that speaks to the world, is a reality, unfolding before our eyes," she said.

Over the last seven editions of the BGBS, investment proposals worth Rs 19 lakh crore have been received, with work already completed for Rs 13 lakh crore, according to the chief minister.