Siliguri to host trade meet

AVIJIT SINHA, TT, Siliguri: Come December 5, and senior ministers, state government officials and entrepreneurs from all eight districts of north Bengal and the neighbouring nations of Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan will congregate here to attend the Fifth edition of North Bengal Conclave.

"The conclave will see all stakeholders come together under one roof. Our aim is to showcase north Bengal as a potential destination for investment in different industrial sectors. We are expecting some major investment announcements during the event," said Rajiv Lochan, the chairman, NB zonal council of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) that is hosting the event.

Lochan pointed out that the region offered a wide variety of options, both for big and small investors in sectors such as manufacturing, tourism, tea tourism, real estate, healthcare, education, agriculture and floriculture, food processing and IT.

In a run-up the conclave, the CII, in association with the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation, has already organised road shows in all the eight districts of the region.

The road shows also served as forums for the CII to invite industry members to take part in the upcoming Bengal Global Business Summit, organisers said.

"The idea is to bring in local entrepreneurs who can speak on investment options. Also, at the conclave, they can interact with each other to collect information on several issues," said Naresh Agarwal, a former chairman of the CII in north Bengal.

Anand Mittal, the vice-chairman of the trade body's NB zonal council, emphasised the location of the region.

"It shares international borders with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh and shares state borders with Assam, Sikkim and Bihar. Also, known as the gateway to the Northeast, the region serves as a corridor to China and southeast Asian countries like Myanmar and Thailand," said Mittal.

Through the conclave, the CII will try to highlight the potential of the region and convince prospective investors of the long-term reward they can reap by putting their money in a range of sectors, he said.

A senior industrialist based in Siliguri elaborated on the need for the conclave.

"Even now, tea provides highest employment in north Bengal. But over the past few years, the industry has faced economic turbulence due to an array of issues and that is why employment opportunities have dried up in the sector. Further, the tourism industry that also engages quite a good number of people is confronting problems on a regular basis, particularly due to the agitation in the hills," he said.