KOLKATTA: West Bengal has received investment proposals worth over Rs.4.40 lakh crore at this year’s Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS), Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced on Thursday (February 6, 2025). She said the state remains a top destination for investors. Speaking at the event’s closing session, Banerjee shared that 212 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and letters of intent were signed across multiple sectors. She emphasized Bengal’s growing investment potential. Top industrialists, policymakers, and international delegates attended the summit, reinforcing Bengal’s position as a key investment hub in eastern India. We have received investment proposals of Rs.4,40,595 crore. This will generate thousands of jobs in West Bengal," Banerjee stated. She described the response to BGBS 2025 as proof of Bengal’s rising economic growth. The chief minister also highlighted her government's efforts since 2011, saying they have lifted 1.72 crore people out of poverty. She credited progress in infrastructure, industry, and social welfare for these achievements. At Bengal Global Business Summit held in 2023, West Bengal had secured investment proposals worth Rs.3.76 lakh crore. One of the biggest commitments this year came from Reliance Industries. Chairman Mukesh Ambani pledged to invest Rs.50,000 crore in Bengal by 2030. "In less than a decade, our investment in Bengal has grown 20 times to Rs.50,000 crore. We will double this by the end of the decade," Ambani said. He added that Reliance’s projects have already created over one lakh direct jobs. The summit also brought other major announcements. ITC revealed plans to establish a global artificial intelligence excellence center in Kolkata’s New Town. JSW Group Chairman Sajjan Jindal committed Rs.16,000 crore for a 1,600 MW power project at Salboni. He also hinted at doubling this investment in the future. The Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) 2025 started from Wednesday, with big names like Mukesh Ambani and Sajjan Jindal and several others have attended. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee inaugurated the event, marking the eighth edition of the summit. This could be the Mamata government’s last chance to attract major investments before the 2026 Assembly elections. The state hopes to highlight Bengal’s “business-friendly environment” and tackle the unemployment issue.