US-India business Council explores incresed businees opportunity

Kolkata, Mar 8 (UNI) An eight-member high power US-India Business Council (USIBC) delegation which is on a weeklong trip to India, has evinced keen interest on enhancing business cooperation in manufacturing, transportation logistics and chemical sectors in West Bengal.

This view was expressed here today by the leader of the US delegation and chaiman of USIBC Ron Somers after an hour-long meeting with Chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee and Commerce and Industries Minister Nirupam Sen.

Speaking to newspersons after meeting the Chief minister and watching a power point presentation on investment opportunities and scope of joint venture businesses here, Mr Somers said they were highly impressed by the "dynasmic approach" of the government as well as the Chief minister 'in carrying forward the industrialisation programme and wanted to work through mutual cooperation in wide ranging areas'.

Asked to specify the areas of possible joint venture Mr Somers, in presence of Industries minister said they included transportation logistics, aviation, food processing and chemical and petro-chemical industries through time bound programmes.

The delegation members including the members of the US Chambers of Commerce, were particularly interested in joint cooperation in the proposed Chemical hub at Haldia besides participating in creating world class transportation logistics in and around the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport at Dum Dum.

About the scope of joint ventures in food processing industries, Mr Somers hailing the high quality of mangoes in the state said it had impressed the delegation members and some of them even evinced interest in importing manoges from here to the USA on seasonal basis to create a successful market overseas.

He said since the main purpose of their two-day visit to this "Communist ruled state", was basically of exploratory nature, no formal agreement had been signed in this trip. "But we have opened the door for others and are confident that a large number of US based companies would soon come here to increase the FDI from US to over a billion dollars in West Bengal alone", he added.

Later the USIBC delegation left for Chennai on the last leg of their Indian sojourn.

UNI