West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who will embark on a six-day visit to Singapore Aug 17 in a bid to tap investment, Tuesday said she will promote the state's products, including bags and Tulaipanji rice, during her first foreign trip."I am visiting Singapore. I will take handicraft of Bengal along with me. I will market them there. I will showcase bags produced by the self help groups of this district. They are beautiful," Banerjee said at a programme in Gangarampur in South Dinajpur district."I will also carry a local variety of Tulaipanji rice and market it in Singapore," she said.In her first visit abroad after taking over as chief minister three years back, Banerjee would lead an official and business delegation comprising ministers, bureaucrats, heads of various chambers of commerce and leading industrialists. She would return Aug 22.The visit comes in response to an invitation by the Singapore government and Changi Airports International, the latter involved in setting up the Aerotropolis project - involving setting up a new airport along with a township, IT and logistics hub - at Andal of Burdwan district.
With the industry-starved state failing to attract any big ticket investment in the past few years, industry captains and economists are attaching great importance to the tour."It is important in today's world to showcase your state. Singapore is a big economic centre. It is situated close to Kolkata, This is a great possibility for showcasing Bengal's capabilities. Because not only Singaporean companies, but also the headquarters of many western companies and banks are situated there," Ambuja Neotia Group chairman Harshavardhan Neotia told IANS.Neotia would be a part of the delegation. "I will accompany the chief minister Aug 17, and stay for two days," he said.Economist Dipankar Dasgupta was also hopeful of a positive outcome from the visit."I'm hopeful. Changi is already investing. If she can get some infrastructure projects, it will be great," the former professor of the Indian Statistical Institute told IANS.
Business circles said Banerjee was likely to scour investment from sectors like Information Technology and Information Technology Enables Services (ITes), education, and eco-tourism. The financial sector is also in her radar.Among the ministers slated to accompany Banerjee are Industry and Finance Minister Amit Mitra, Power Minister Manish Gupta and Education Minister Partha Chatterjee.