West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with Mukesh Ambani at the 8th edition of Bengal Global Business Summit on February 5, 2025
| Photo Credit: Debasish Bhaduri
Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani on Wednesday (February 5, 2025) said that the group will double its investment in West Bengal by the end of the decade.
“In 2016, when I first attended this summit, Reliance’s investments stood below ₹2,000 crore. Today, in less than a decade, our investments in Bengal have increased 20 times, and we have invested over ₹50,000 crore. Mamata didi (Banerjee), we shall double this investment by the end of this decade,” Mr. Ambani said while speaking at the Bengal Global Business Summit 2025 in Kolkata.
The Reliance Industries chairman also added that the investments have created over one lakh direct jobs and spurred significant economic growth in West Bengal.
Mr. Ambani also added that Reliance Industries has modified its Data Centre in Kolkata to a state-of-the-art AI-ready Data Centre, and that it will be ready in the next nine months. He also added that Jio was building Bengal’s first cable landing station in Digha.
“Jio’s network now covers 100% of Bengal’s population. I am particularly thankful to the people and our customers in Kolkata city, because they continue to maintain the record of the highest users of data in India on our Jio network,” he added.
Mr. Ambani added that the group’s new initiative Swadesh will help expand Bengal’s fabulous artisan economy in other cities of the country and across the world and Reliance’s New Energy Initiative, starting operations by the end of 2025 would like to contribute to Bengal’s green economy. “Our motto is: “Solar Bangla for Sonar Bangla “, he added.
ITC chairman Sanjiv Puri, highlighted that the company is headquartered in West Bengal and added, “Our confidence in the state in reflected in our expanding footprint here. Encouraged by the economic resurgence that we are witnessing here”. Mr Puri added that ITC has continued to make significant investments in West Bengal over the last decade with investment of over Rs 7500 crore across agriculture, food processing, hospitality, paper and information technology.
“Besides the projects announced at the BGBS this year, ITC’s other recent investments include a state-of-the-art foods factory in Uluberia, expansions at its foods factory in Panchla as well as at the Décor Paper facility in Tribeni,” said Mr. Puri, who is the president of Confederation of Indian Industries.
Speaking at the Bengal Global Business Summit , 2025 Harshavardhan Neotia, Chairman, Ambuja Neotia Group also announced an ambitious investment plan of over ₹15,000 crores in West Bengal over the next five years. The investments will span across healthcare, hospitality, tourism, residential and commercial real estate, and a first-of-its-kind golf-themed township, Mr. Neotia added.
“Bengal has always been our home and our karmabhoomi. We are committed to its growth and development, and these projects will create new opportunities, enhance infrastructure, and strengthen Bengal’s position as a business and tourism hub,” he added.
The other key announcements at the BGBS 2025 involved two 800 Mg Wt power plants by JSW group at Salboni in Paschim Medinipur with an investment of ₹16,000 crore along with a 2,000 acre industrial park. Sajjan Jindal, the chairman of JSW group also added that the Government of West Bengal has evolved its policies for attracting business and the group is also keen to develop Durgapur airport as the second biggest airport in West Bengal.
RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group Sanjiv Goenka whose company has assets worth ₹40,000 crore in the state added that the group is going to add investments of ₹10,000 crore in the energy, infrastructure and education sectors.
“We live in West Bengal that is transformed by the vision and action of our Chief Minister,” Mr. Goenka said.
Several captains of Indian industry including chairman of FICCI and managing director of Emami Limited Harsha Vardhan Agarwal lauded Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her initiative to attract investment to West Bengal.
The two day BGBS started in Kolkata’s New Town area on February 5 and will focus on several areas including MSME, advanced manufacturing, circular economy, natural resources, defence manufacturing, agriculture and allied sectors among others.
Published – February 06, 2025 04:30 am IST
