West Bengal is prepared to take away fair bit of Punjabi industry and following in the footsteps of Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

The state government arranged an interactive session with industry stakeholders in Mohali ahead of the “Bengal Global Business Summit, 2023,” which is set to take place in Kolkata on November 21–22 this year. The purpose of the session was to explore trade and investment opportunities in the state.

Advertisement

“The Amritsar to Kolkata freight corridor is coming up and is in the final stages,” stated Amit Mitra, Principal Chief Adviser to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Finance Department, West Bengal, highlighting the significant opportunities for businesses in Punjab to expand through engagements with Bengal. It will link two states with the nation’s longest freight corridor, facilitating seamless cargo movement. Punjab’s GDP is close to Rs 7 lakh crore, but Bengal’s GDP is projected to be Rs 17.5 lakh crore in 2023–2024, meaning Punjabi businesses have a tonne of room to grow.

Speaking of the two states, he stated that Bengal, being the state that produces the most rice, contributed rice, while Punjab’s accomplishment is wheat, which can feed the entire nation. Since West Bengal is where the ITC gets the necessary raw materials, it has 19 plants there. Bengal is the second-largest producer of fruits and vegetables.

He said that in terms of manufacturing, Bengal had the biggest rail manufacturing in Titagarh, which is well-known for producing Metro coaches and wagons.