"Viksit Bengal' must play its role in 'Viksit Bharat'": Economic Advisory Council member
New Delhi, June 27
Economist and Economic Advisory Council member Sanjeev Sanyal said Friday that a "Vixit Bharat" depends on "Vixit Eastern India," with Kolkata at the centre of that push, arguing that reigniting the city's urban and entrepreneurial ecosystem is critical to building a network of high-growth urban hubs across the region.
"In order for you to have Viksit Bharat, you need to have a Viksit Eastern India and Viksit Bengal and Viksit Kolkata are key to this because effectively getting a major urban hub firing up in Eastern India and creating a network of high growth in urban centers," Sanyal said. "Obviously you need Patna, Guwahati, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, they need to fire up, but let's be honest Kolkata is still the single largest hub. So really getting Kolkata going is critical to getting this network of urban hubs growing fast."
Outlining the path ahead, he stressed the need to reactivate Kolkata's urban ecosystem. "Among them is to begin to invest into getting Kolkata's urban ecosystem going again. There are many elements to this. Some of it requires redeployment of derelict industrial lands, which are there. Some of it requires changing policy, industrial policies, which may be not adequately pro-business," he said.
Sanyal pointed to Bengal's historical trading legacy as a foundation for renewal. "Despite the last 50 years, what we have seen, the history of Bengal is all about trade and business and it's there in the blood of every Bengali to do business. So we need to bring back that spirit of innovation, of risk-taking and entrepreneurship, for which Bengalis were known throughout history," he said, adding, "Viksit Bengal must play its role in Viksit Bharat."
On the state budget presented by the state's Finance Minister Swapandas Gupta, Sanyal said it signals a shift in approach. "Yes, a budget, which the Minister Swapandas Gupta presented, brings together this new vision. As he himself said, it's unapologetically looks at being pro-business. It lays the ground for certain welfare programs or so, which we had promised. And so we have here the framework for reviving the state."
He also highlighted the scope to revive legacy institutions given "political alignment between central and state." "There are many institutions that are still in Bengal, both central but also state government. Many of these institutions have not seen the kind of investment that you would want. But because you now have political alignment between central and state, many of these old institutions can be also revived," Sanyal said. "I think a lot of work is ahead of us, but a good first step has been taken."
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a Bengali who moved to Bangalore for work, this gives me hope. The talent pool in Kolkata is unreal - great engineers, doctors, and creative minds. But the city needs better infrastructure and less bureaucracy. If they can revive the old jute mill areas as business parks, that would be amazing. Though I must say, "political alignment" between state and center should be used to actually benefit people, not just score political points 🤔
Interesting perspective from an American expat living in Delhi. I've visited Kolkata a few times and always wondered why such a historic city with great universities (Jadavpur, Presidency) and a strategic location isn't seeing the kind of growth you see in Hyderabad or Pune. The mention of redeploying derelict industrial land is spot-on - there's so much underutilized space near the Hooghly river that could be transformed.
Sanjeev Sanyal always brings fresh ideas. But I'm cautiously optimistic - we've heard similar promises before. The key is implementation. Will they actually cut red tape for small businesses? Can they fix the drainage and traffic in Kolkata first? And what about the villages in Bengal that need development too? A "Viksit Bengal" can't just mean Kolkata becomes a mini-Singapore while rural areas are left behind. Need a balanced approach 🌾🏙️
As someone who works in the development sector, I appreciate the vision but it's too top-down. The "entrepreneurial spirit" Sanyal talks about is already alive in Bengal - just look at the street food scene, the handloom clusters in Murshidabad, or the tech startups coming out of New Town. The government's job is to get out of the way, not just hand out subsidies. Also, don't forget environmental sustainability while reviving industry! 🌿
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