Largest UK delegation expected at Bengal Global Business Summit

Kolkata: The United Kingdom (UK) is set to send its biggest ever delegation to the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) 2022, a signature conclave of the Mamata Banerjee government, that is scheduled to be held in Kolkata this week to attract investments to the state.

A 49-strong delegation of senior figures from a wide range of businesses, institutions and universities will represent the UK at BGBS on April 20-21, the British Deputy High Commission stated on Sunday.

The UK, in collaboration with the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will facilitate business-to-business meetings during the summit. These discussions will enable participants to identify opportunities for future collaboration, research and innovation, and facilitate the expansion of trade and investment.

British Deputy High Commissioner to Kolkata Nick Low said, “I’m delighted to bring such a large delegation to BGBS. The 2030 Roadmap agreed by our Prime Ministers in May last year promised to transform trade and investment between the UK and India. That’s what we’re here to do. I want to increase the United Kingdom’s portfolio of investments and partnerships in West Bengal, which already provides around thirty thousand jobs in Kolkata alone. There is strong interest from UK companies looking to expanding existing investments here and from others who are new to India. As the splendid Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in New Town and the magnificent Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan show, Bengal means business. So does Global Britain.”

Education, arts and culture / creative economy is another vital aspect of the UK spectrum for BGBS. There will be a major thrust on education, research, creative economy and sustainable tourism during these two-day engagements.

British Council Director East and Northeast India Debanjan Chakrabarti said, “West Bengal has an enviable pool of education and research talent. From the British Council we are delighted to contribute to West Bengal’s global thinking on education through BGBS.  We are supporting the public private partnerships on education, creative economy and sustainable tourism with ideas and expertise from the UK. We have several top UK universities taking part in BGBS deliberations which will create opportunities for young people from both Bengal and Britain and build on existing research partnerships between higher education institutions. We are supporting the strengthening of sustainable tourism and creative economy - all of which create huge number of jobs - and align with UN Sustainable Development Goals. We hope that at BGBS 2022 we the start scripting a new Bengal-Britain story that will drive the 21st century economy.”

The British Council will organise a creative economy Round Table from April 21 to 22 after the conclusion of BGBS and will look at regeneration of public.