Industrialisation and infrastructure development have emerged as two of the biggest priorities for the BJP government in West Bengal, with chief minister Suvendu Adhikari personally engaging with some of India’s largest corporate groups to attract investment into the state.
While Adhikari’s recent meeting with Karan Adani, managing director of Adani Ports & SEZ Limited, at Nabanna (West Bengal secretariat) was widely reported, INDIA TODAY has learnt that the chief minister also recently held discussions with S.N. Subrahmanyan, chairman and managing director of Larsen & Toubro (L&T). According to sources, the meeting took place at the VIP lounge of Kolkata airport.
L&T already has a presence in Bengal through its IT subsidiary, LTIMindtree, which is developing a Rs 1,890 crore Innovation Campus in New Town, Kolkata. Spread across nearly 19 acres, the project is expected to generate up to 25,000 jobs once fully operational across multiple phases. The campus is likely to be inaugurated by the chief minister in the coming months.
Sources indicated that the discussions between Adhikari and Subrahmanyan went beyond the New Town project and focused on future infrastructure opportunities in the state. “One of the projects discussed is a bridge over the Muri Ganga river, connecting Kakdwip with Sagar Island,” a source familiar with the meeting said.
The proposed bridge, estimated to cost around Rs 1,700 crore, is expected to provide all-weather connectivity to Sagar Island, home to the internationally renowned Gangasagar pilgrimage. At present, pilgrims and residents rely largely on ferry services to cross the river.
Apart from the Muri Ganga bridge, the two sides are understood to have discussed potential investments in highways, urban flyovers, bridges and other transport infrastructure projects aimed at easing congestion and improving connectivity across Bengal.
Adhikari’s outreach to corporate India comes as the BJP government seeks to project itself as business-friendly after years of criticism that Bengal had failed to realise its industrial potential despite its strategic location and large workforce.
During the Trinamool Congress era, several industrial projects faced delays or uncertainty due to land acquisition disputes, bureaucratic hurdles and concerns among investors regarding policy stability. The shadow of the Singur and Nandigram movements continued to influence investment decisions for years, with critics arguing that Bengal struggled to attract large-scale manufacturing projects even as competing states aggressively courted investors. Infrastructure expansion too often lagged behind demand, particularly in logistics, port connectivity and industrial corridors.
The discussions with the Adani Group were also focused on infrastructure and logistics. Sources said the group explored possibilities for developing a new deep-sea port along Bengal’s coastline, with locations in the coastal belt of East Midnapore—specifically in Dadanpatrabar instead of Tajpur as announced by the earlier government—being among the options under consideration. Improved port infrastructure is seen as crucial for boosting trade, exports and industrial growth in eastern India.
With back-to-back meetings involving two of India’s biggest infrastructure players, the BJP government appears keen to signal that attracting investment, creating jobs and upgrading Bengal’s infrastructure would remain at the centre of its economic agenda.
Adhikari has also met Union minister of ports, shipping and waterways Sarbananda Sonowal and railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at Nabanna, with both ministers announcing major investments for Bengal.
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