The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry and CENERS-K(Centre for East and North East Regional Studies, Kolkata) organized an Economic Summit on “Eastern and NorthEastern India: Driving Force of India’s Act East Policy” on 11th November 2017 in the Chamber premises.

The conference theme had been conceptualized to highlight the importance of the region in boosting the economic growth of the country. The Economic Summit, with the presence of acknowledged and renowned experts, offered different perspectives on how East and the North-Eastern States of India could propel the development of the Region by implementing the Government’s Act East Policy.

Shri Manish Gupta, Hon’ble MP graced the occasion and launched ‘The Calcutta Journal of Global Affairs’ published by CENERS-K. The Summit commenced with the addresses by Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, PVSM,AVSM, VM (Retd), representing CENERS-K and Mr. C S Ghosh, President, The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Shri Debashis Sen, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Information Technology & Electronics, Government of West Bengal and Chairman & Managing Director, Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, Government of West Bengal and Chairman, Nabadiganta Industrial Township Authority, Government of West Bengal was also present in the programme.

‘Regional Connectivity – The Diplomatic Perspective’ was addressed by Mr. Craig L. Hall, Consul General of U.S.A. in Kolkata; Mr. Kazuya Nakajo, Chief Director General, JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization) (under Ministry of Economy, Trade & Industry, Government of Japan); Mr. Tharadol Thongruang, Minister Counsellor (Commercial), Office of Commercial Affairs, Royal Thai Embassy, New Delhi; Mr. Masayuki Taga, Consul General of Japan in Kolkata; andMohammed Saiful Islam, First Secretary (Commercial), Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata. Mr. P S Bhattacharyya, Former Chairman, Coal India Limited shared his perspectives on ‘Connectivity through the Eyes of Business’. ShriSuresh Prabhu, Hon’ble Minister of Commerce and Industry, Government of India addressed the audience in video.

The programme also featured a Panel Discussion on ‘East and North East as the Hub and Gateway to South East Asia’. Dr. Prabir De, Professor, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) chaired the Discussions. The Panelists included Shri P. Padmanabhan, Former Managing Director, Numaligarh Refinery Limited; Mr. Binod Kumar Bawri, Chairman and Managing Director, Bawri Group; Lt. Gen. J R Mukherjee, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd), Vice President (Operations), CENERS-K; Mr. T.B. Chatterjee, Chief Corporate Officer, Legal and Corporate Affairs, DIC India Limited & Chairperson, Indirect Tax Committee, The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Ms. Kasturi Bhattacharjee, Senior Director, Industry & IoT Head, Ericsson India Global Services Pvt. Ltd.; and Mr Dinesh Thapar, Vice President – Finance, Hindustan Unilever Ltd. Mr Aniruddha Lahiri, Vice President CENERS-K and Past President, The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry mentored the Programme.