The West Bengal government will hold a high-level business conclave in Kolkata on December 18 to highlight the state’s industrial progress and new investment prospects.

The event, to be held at the Dhano Dhanyo Auditorium, will be attended by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and top officials from key state departments.

The conclave comes at a crucial time, with Assembly elections due next year, and aims to project Bengal as a fast-emerging hub for business and industry.

Amit Mitra, chief advisor to the Chief Minister and the state finance department, said the conclave will “showcase success stories from the industry and outline the future growth plans in Bengal.”

He added that senior bureaucrats, including Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, met earlier in the day to finalise the planning and coordination of the event.

The upcoming conclave follows the state’s flagship Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) 2025, held on February 5–6, which received record-breaking investment proposals worth Rs 4.4 lakh crore, the largest in the summit’s eight editions.

The proposed investments marked a sharp rise from the Rs 3.76 lakh crore announced in 2023.

The BGBS 2025 drew participation from over 5,000 delegates and saw the signing of 212 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and Letters of Intent (LoIs) across sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, tourism, information technology, logistics, and energy.

Industry giants including Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries and Sajjan Jindal’s JSW Group expressed strong interest in expanding operations in Bengal.

Notable commitments also came from companies such as NTT Global, ST Telemedia, and CtrlS for data centre projects; Iskraemeco India for smart meter manufacturing; Birla Opus for a new paint plant; and Belle Vue Clinic for healthcare expansion.

The state government has also assured continued support for major projects such as ONGC’s oil and gas exploration at Ashoknagar.

While the government projected the BGBS 2025 as a major milestone in Bengal’s industrial journey, opposition parties including the BJP and the Left had criticised the investment figures as “inflated” and “unrealistic,” questioning the implementation of past commitments.

Officials said the December conclave aims to review progress on the pledged investments and present a roadmap for the coming years. It will also serve as a platform to reassure investors of the state’s business-friendly environment and infrastructure readiness.