West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, at the Bengal Global Business Summit 2023 in Kolkata on Tuesday, declared former cricketer and ex-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India Sourav Ganguly, as the “Brand Ambassador of Bengal.”

In a video shared by news agency ANI, Mamata Banerjee announced Ganguly as the brand ambassador of West Bengal, acknowledging his popularity and ‘his potential to positively influence the younger generation”.

“Sourav Ganguly is a very popular figure and he can work for the young generation in a very good manner. I want to involve him as the Brand Ambassador of Bengal,” said Banerjee.

The Bengal Global Business Summit, an annual event, has attracted participation from several hundred companies across 17 countries, including the UK, US, Australia, Korea, Japan, Germany, and France. The two-day summit commenced on Tuesday.

Bengal Global Business Summit 2023

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, while opening the Bengal Global Business Summit 2023 in Kolkata, unveiled a series of new policies aimed at doubling the state’s exports, upgrading logistical infrastructure, and fostering renewable energy manufacturing. Banerjee also introduced initiatives promoting biofuels and a new sub-sea cable landing station in Digha to bolster internet connectivity in the eastern region.

The summit’s inauguration saw a gathering of prominent business leaders, including Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries, Sanjeev Goenka from the energy sector, and Rishad Premji of Wipro.

Highlighting the state’s development plans, Banerjee mentioned the establishment of four new industrial corridors spanning Dankuni-Kalyani, Tajpur port-Raghunathpur, Dankuni-Jhargram, and Durgapur to Cooch Behar in north Bengal.

Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, committed an additional investment of ₹20,000 crore in West Bengal over the next three years, focusing on digital solutions, expanding Reliance Retail, and advancing bio-energy.

“We plan to invest an additional ₹20,000 crore in West Bengal in the next three years for enhancing digital life solutions, augmenting Reliance Retail footprint and on bio-energy,” Ambani said.

He also highlighted Reliance Industries’ substantial investment of nearly ₹45,000 crore in the state in recent years, expressing the company’s commitment to bolstering Bengal’s growth.

Wipro Chairman Rishad Premji said, “West Bengal provides the right policy environment for expansion of IT industries.”

Sanjeev Goenka from RPG mentioned to the gathering that their company has injected ₹25,000 crore into the state in recent years, crediting the swift and effective decision-making process. He emphasized that the days of slowdowns, strikes, and unrest are history, highlighting the chief minister’s strong pro-business stance.

(With inputs from agencies)