Bengal Global Business Summit: Businessmen pledge allegiance to state, promise more investments
It was an opera of a different kind.
Media, perched at the balcony seat, 400 meters away from the dais, witnessed the unfolding of the Bengal Global Business Summit in an ambience of grandeur and solemnity of an opera.
Disciplined, corporate, meticulously measured, but somehow remote, inaccessible, unreachable and un-interactive, the summit gave the impression of a wall-off, rather than scope for interface or face-to-face.
Seated on the dais of a state-of-art, international standard convention centre, the who's who of industry, big names in the international and national world looked lilliputs, almost faceless to the audience.
Had it not been the giant 60 feet screen beaming the show, the media confined aloft would have lost out on the serious business rolling out on the podium.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sat flanked by Mukesh Ambani and steel baron LN Mittal and there were close to 45 industrialists and businessmen effusive of the paradigm shift, the change in the mindset unfolding under the most dynamic and optimistic chief minister of the country.
Mamata was talking about an emotional bond, "enjoy Bengal as your sweet home."
"We will dedicate our heart, ourselves."
She was undoubtedly speaking from the depth of her heart, but the physical distance, the consciously constructed hiatus, that stretched between the investors and the audience in other words "the lovely people of Bengal," as chief minister said, gave industry the ivory tower seclusion as against what she and her Ma-Maati-Manush government chooses to process.
Mr. Ambani went as far as to give a new coinage to the state - "best Bengal."
"Didi under your leadership West Bengal is best Bengal," he said with Mamata Banerjee giving coy smiles.
Lauding chief minister for a friendly climate for investment, Ambani said that his company's initial investment commitment of Rs 4,500 crore increased three-fold over the last three years to Rs 15,000 crore.
Apart from Jio, "which will make every citizen of Bengal a smart citizen," and upgrading connectivity with optical fibre, with a target to reach 100 per cent of the population in 2018, the Ambani group is making fresh investment of Rs 5,000 crore in retail, petroleum products.
Chairman of JSW Group, Sajjan Jindal, who spoke of the compassion, commitment and support of the chief minister in egging him on to do something for the state after he abandoned his integrated iron and steel plant plan, promised Rs 10,000 crore in next three years.
Mr. Jindal had inaugurated a 2.5 mtp cement plant yesterday at Salboni in West Midnapore with an investment promise of Rs 800 crore.
Asia's richest banker, as finance minister Amit Mitra chose to introduce Uday Kotak, was convinced that the future of the country is in the east now that banks are emerging as net lenders to the state.
Chairman of RPG group Sanjiv Goenka spoke about the changes in industry climate sweeping in Bengal.
"In Bengal, business and businessmen are treated with dignity and respect," a reference to the high-handed attitude of the Centre in setting the investigative agencies behind industrialists.
Taking a cue from Goenka, Mamata took a dig at the BJP-led government in power at the Centre by asserting that there is no pressure, no intimidation, "only love and attraction."
Bengal is a place where there is tolerance for industry and for one and all. The pressure on businessmen and industry lobby, post demonetisation and GST were constantly harked upon in course of Mamata's brief speech.
There were no announcements of ambitious, over-the-counter figures. In fact LN Mittal made no concrete commitment. The absence of union ministers was also markedly conspicuous. But the participation of 30 countries, nine global partner countries, and the razmataz all around made the fourth edition of the business summit another annual event, a jamboree for the state to boast of.
Media, perched at the balcony seat, 400 meters away from the dais, witnessed the unfolding of the Bengal Global Business Summit in an ambience of grandeur and solemnity of an opera.
Disciplined, corporate, meticulously measured, but somehow remote, inaccessible, unreachable and un-interactive, the summit gave the impression of a wall-off, rather than scope for interface or face-to-face.
Had it not been the giant 60 feet screen beaming the show, the media confined aloft would have lost out on the serious business rolling out on the podium.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sat flanked by Mukesh Ambani and steel baron LN Mittal and there were close to 45 industrialists and businessmen effusive of the paradigm shift, the change in the mindset unfolding under the most dynamic and optimistic chief minister of the country.
Mamata was talking about an emotional bond, "enjoy Bengal as your sweet home."
"We will dedicate our heart, ourselves."
She was undoubtedly speaking from the depth of her heart, but the physical distance, the consciously constructed hiatus, that stretched between the investors and the audience in other words "the lovely people of Bengal," as chief minister said, gave industry the ivory tower seclusion as against what she and her Ma-Maati-Manush government chooses to process.
Mr. Ambani went as far as to give a new coinage to the state - "best Bengal."
"Didi under your leadership West Bengal is best Bengal," he said with Mamata Banerjee giving coy smiles.
Lauding chief minister for a friendly climate for investment, Ambani said that his company's initial investment commitment of Rs 4,500 crore increased three-fold over the last three years to Rs 15,000 crore.
Apart from Jio, "which will make every citizen of Bengal a smart citizen," and upgrading connectivity with optical fibre, with a target to reach 100 per cent of the population in 2018, the Ambani group is making fresh investment of Rs 5,000 crore in retail, petroleum products.
Chairman of JSW Group, Sajjan Jindal, who spoke of the compassion, commitment and support of the chief minister in egging him on to do something for the state after he abandoned his integrated iron and steel plant plan, promised Rs 10,000 crore in next three years.
Mr. Jindal had inaugurated a 2.5 mtp cement plant yesterday at Salboni in West Midnapore with an investment promise of Rs 800 crore.
Asia's richest banker, as finance minister Amit Mitra chose to introduce Uday Kotak, was convinced that the future of the country is in the east now that banks are emerging as net lenders to the state.
Chairman of RPG group Sanjiv Goenka spoke about the changes in industry climate sweeping in Bengal.
"In Bengal, business and businessmen are treated with dignity and respect," a reference to the high-handed attitude of the Centre in setting the investigative agencies behind industrialists.
Taking a cue from Goenka, Mamata took a dig at the BJP-led government in power at the Centre by asserting that there is no pressure, no intimidation, "only love and attraction."
Bengal is a place where there is tolerance for industry and for one and all. The pressure on businessmen and industry lobby, post demonetisation and GST were constantly harked upon in course of Mamata's brief speech.
There were no announcements of ambitious, over-the-counter figures. In fact LN Mittal made no concrete commitment. The absence of union ministers was also markedly conspicuous. But the participation of 30 countries, nine global partner countries, and the razmataz all around made the fourth edition of the business summit another annual event, a jamboree for the state to boast of.
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