Key facts
- West Bengal's new Industry Minister Tapas Roy has made attracting Tata Group investments a top priority.
- Roy stated the goal is to project West Bengal as an investor-friendly state.
- He aims to reverse capital flight and encourage the return of industries that left.
- The minister criticized the previous government's industrial policies.
- A new land policy is being considered to facilitate industrial development.
- Amul's Rs 650 crore investment was highlighted as an early success.
West Bengal's new Industry Minister, Tapas Roy, has declared that attracting investment from the Tata Group is the foremost priority for the state's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. Roy stated that bringing back Tatas, whether to Singur or other locations, would send a positive signal to domestic and global investors, aiming to project West Bengal as the most industry-friendly state.
Roy criticized the previous Trinamool Congress regime, alleging that investors found the environment unconducive, leading to a capital flight and the departure of 6,688 large industries. He emphasized that industrialization is essential for the state's future and its youth.
He pointed to Amul's Rs 650 crore investment as an early action by the new government, demonstrating its commitment to being industry-friendly. The state government is also considering a new land policy to address acquisition blockades faced by industries.
Roy specifically questioned the industrial legacy of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, particularly regarding the Singur land issue, and noted the lack of investment data from previous Bengal Global Business Summits.