Calcutta, March 25: Blending business with glamour and weaving success stories into the sales pitch, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has worked out a new strategy to promote Bengal, and the entire east, as an attractive investment destination.

Come April 16, fashion designer Sabyasachi (Pepsi) Mukherjee and ace footballer Bhaichung Bhutia (pictures above) will share the dais with the likes of CII president Anand Mahindra and B. Muthuraman of Tisco to sell the state’s investment potential. Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee will inaugurate the day-long event.

“Sourav (Ganguly) and Bhaichung, who are leading the Indian cricket and football teams, are from Calcutta. The most talked about tennis player in the country, Leander (Paes), is also from this city. People from Calcutta are excelling in all fields, ranging from arts and culture to fashion and films. We want to showcase all these in totality,” said Sanjay Budhia, chairman, CII eastern region.

So, along with sessions on how enablers in the state have helped in scripting corporate success stories, there will be slots to highlight individual successes from the region.

The presentation on corporate success stories will include snapshots from MCC India PTA Corp, Birla Tyres, Indal, BOC India and Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, while individuals like Leander, Sabyasachi, Bhaichung and actor Jayant Kripalani will share their experience.

“We have been trying to promote the image of the state for some time and this included roadshows for the chief minister in cities like Mumbai and Hyderabad. The events generated significant interest in Bengal and now we are trying to look at highlighting the success stories from this part of the country and working out a comprehensive promotion plan for the region,” explained Budhia.

According to the CII, the state’s potential in fields like arts and culture and entertainment are yet to be explored. With talents from the city making it big in the entertainment industry, interest in the state has been renewed, felt Budhia. But there was a need for concerted efforts to reap real benefits for the region.

With perception being a major problem, there will be a dedicated session on promoting the east and creating a proper brand for the region. Participants would include ad guru Prahlad Kakkar and chief economic adviser, Union ministry of finance, Ashok Lahiri.

Government representatives — from health minister Surjya Kanta Mishra to WBIDC managing director Gopal Krishnan — will discuss the various policy initiatives.