Projects bagged: Steel plants to AI centres, townships to FMCG facilities

Announcing an investment of Rs 16,000 crore to build an 800 MW power plant in Salboni in Paschim Medinipur district, JSW chairman Sajjan Jindal said: “It’s always inspiring to see the passion and love with which Mamata Didi is transforming Bengal.”

JSW will also invest in the Durgapur Airport development as the second largest airport of Bengal. “I have seen the progress from strength to strength. Under Mamata Bamerjee’s leadership, Bengal has emerged as one of India’s most dynamic investment destinations. I don’t think any other state offers the kind of facilities at business summits that I see in Bengal… Bengal is turning into a gateway of commerce to India. From my personal experience I can just say Bengal needs business… Bengal has all the ingredients to become a power house of India,” Jindal said as he announced an investment of Rs 20,000 crore — the group’s largest investment in the state to date.

The ITC inaugurated two key projects on Wednesday — ITC Infotech Global AI Centre of Excellence at Rajarhat and a state-of-the-art FMCG manufacturing facility at Uluberia.

The Rajarhat centre will “drive advanced AI research, contributing significantly to the development of West Bengal as a leading AI hub in India, while the Uluberia facility will produce ITC’s personal care products and serve as a neem research centre, ITC chairman Sanjiv Puri said.

“Our confidence in Bengal is reflected in our expanding footprint in the state. Encouraged by the economic resurgence that we are witnessing here, we have significantly scaled up our projects in the state across all sectors of the economy,” Puri said, adding that ITC has invested over Rs 7,500 crore in West Bengal over the last decade.

“Recent investments include expansion at its Panchla foods factory and Tribeni Décor Paper facility.  ITC and aims to double its footprint,” he added. To further support the state’s agricultural sector, ITC launched ITCMAARS, a ‘phygital’ ecosystem providing farmers with access to advanced agricultural services, digital technologies, and market linkages, aiming to cover 5 lakh farmers through 100 FPOs.

The Ambuja Neotia Group also announced to invest Over Rs 15,000 crore 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.

Harshavardhan Neotia, chairman of Ambuja Neotia Group, said the “proactive governance and support from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has helped catalyse investment opportunities in the region.”

Claiming that 70 per cent of Neotia group’s investment is in West Bengal, he said: “We will invest Rs 5000 crore in golf-themed township. It will be Bengal’s first international-standard golf township, featuring an 18-hole golf course, golf-view villas, apartments, a golf hotel, a clubhouse, and premium lifestyle amenities. The 240-acre project has been in planning for several years and preliminary development has begun.”

“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,” Neotia added.

FICCI president and Emami Ltd vice-chairman Harsha Vardhan Agarwal said: “Bengal has been instrumental in our growth across personal care, healthcare, retail and healthcare. West Bengal is not just a state, it is a legacy of resilience, and creativity. Under the dynamic leadership of Mamata Didi, Bengal has seen unprecedented growth. Emami Group which began as a startup has now a turnover of around Rs 30,000 crore. The state has a business-friendly environment which allows us to thrive. The future of Bengal is luminous, limitless,” he added.