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BS News Agency: “Prashant Bharat ka Purvodaya – Indo-Pacific’s Purvodaya: Eastern India – The Fulcrum of Act East and the Indo-Pacific”
Kolkata, India | September 25, 2026: The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCC&I) welcomed its new President, Mr. Abhijit Banerjee, Head of On-site, ASEAN & South Asia, Linde India Limited., at its 172nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Kolkata today, as BCC&I hosted the 4th edition of its Indo-Pacific Economic Conclave (IPEC) in association with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, Branch Secretariat, Kolkata. The day-long Conclave, themed “Prashant Bharat ka Purvodaya – Indo-Pacific’s Purvodaya: Eastern India – The Fulcrum of Act East and the Indo-Pacific,” brought together senior policymakers, foreign missions, business leaders, economists, representatives of multilateral institutions, academia and the international business community to deliberate on India’s growing role in the Indo-Pacific and the strategic and economic opportunities emerging from Eastern India’s geographical and economic position.
In the conclave, Mr. Abhijit Roy, President, BCC&I and Managing Director & CEO, Berger Paints India Ltd., said, “To our guests from beyond Kolkata and beyond India: you are most welcome. This city has always known how to receive visitors. We are proud of our warmth, our conversation, and yes, our hospitality. I hope that beyond the sessions and the discussions, you will take away a sense of what makes this city special.”
The Conclave brought a strong West Bengal perspective to the Indo-Pacific discourse, with senior Ministers and Bureaucrats of the Government of West Bengal highlighting the State’s potential as an economic, logistics, industrial and tourism gateway to Eastern India and the wider Bay of Bengal region. Dr. Shankar Ghosh, Hon’ble Minister, Department of Tourism and Department of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of West Bengal, highlighted the importance of industry-led development and stronger collaboration between government and business. He said, “We would like the industrial associations to take the lead in developing product-based industrial parks—such as the 200-acre project in Purulia—and we will fully facilitate them. Whatever land parcels we have, we are ready to offer to the chambers of commerce and industrial associations according to your specific requirements.” Speaking on the opportunities presented by the Indo-Pacific, he added, “The Indo-Pacific offers us a limitless horizon. Let us resolve here today that Kolkata and West Bengal will not be passive spectators to the Indo-Pacific story—we will be its principal architect and principal participant.”
Dr. Ghosh also highlighted the importance of converting West Bengal’s significant tourism potential into tangible outcomes through stronger infrastructure and connectivity. He said, “When it comes to tourism, everyone recognizes the immense potential of our state—from the hills to the ocean, the forests to the mangroves, and our rich culture and heritage—a place ‘Where India Feels Different.’ But why have we failed to fully explore this till today? There has been a very big gap between what we think and what we execute. Our government is ready to fill up this exact gap—moving from potential to performance through partnership in progress.”
Dr. Subrata Gupta , IAS (Retd.), Advisor to the Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of West Bengal, spoke on the strategic convergence between Act East and Purvodaya and the opportunity for Kolkata and West Bengal to strengthen their role as gateways to Eastern India, the North-East and neighbouring countries. He said, “This is the intersection where Act East meets Purvodaya. Kolkata stands as the national gateway for Eastern India, the North-East frontier, and landlocked nations like Nepal and Bhutan. With modernized operations at the Kolkata Port and enhanced container movement in Haldia, we can re-establish our historic mantle as the logistics capital of the Bay of Bengal.” Emphasizing the scale of opportunity presented by the Indo-Pacific, Dr. Gupta added, “The Indo-Pacific gives us a limitless horizon. Let us resolve here today that Kolkata and West Bengal will not be a passive spectator to the Indo-Pacific story—we will be a principal architect and a principal participant in it.”
Representing the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, Shri Ashish Middha , IFS, Regional Passport Officer and Head of Branch Secretariat, Ministry of External Affairs, Kolkata, emphasised the role of Indo-Pacific Economic Conclave as a platform for knowledge sharing and engagement among stakeholders from the economic, diplomatic, educational and strategic spheres. He said, “This Conclave acts as a vital platform for knowledge sharing and connecting stakeholders across economy, education, defense, and diplomacy.” He further highlighted the importance of strengthening economic, cultural and people-to-people ties across the region, stating, “Our efforts are aimed at fostering deeper economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties by identifying shared trade barriers and navigating past them together. The deepening of relations and cooperation between our peoples across this common neighborhood will be key to the next chapter in our journey towards economic, social, and political advancement.”
The day-long Conclave featured an illustrious line-up of speakers representing government, business, financial institutions, multilateral organisations, academia and the diplomatic community. The distinguished speakers included Mr. Ratan Kumar Kesh, Chairperson, Economic Affairs National Committee, BCC&I and ED & COO, Bandhan Bank Limited; Mr. Prasoon Mukherjee, Chairman of Universal Success Enterprises Limited, Adviser for India and Latin America to the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF), Chairman of the India Business Committee of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), Vice-Chairman, SBF’s International Action Committee and Vice-Chairman of the SBF ASEAN Committee; Dr. Shankar Acharya, Honorary Professor, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and Former Chief Economic Adviser, Government of India; Mr. Abhijit Sen Gupta, Senior Country Economist, Asian Development Bank (ADB); Dr. Ranil Salgado, Senior Resident Representative, International Monetary Fund (IMF); Mr. Shrawan Kumar, Principal Chief Commissioner, Kolkata Customs; Mr. Anupam Misra, Chairman and Managing Director, Hindustan Copper Limited; Mr. Ranen Banerjee, Partner and Government Sector Leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers Pvt. Ltd. (PwC India); Dr. Rouhin Deb, Chief Economist, Chief Minister’s Secretariat, Government of Assam; Shri R. Natarajan, Chief General Manager, State Bank of India, Kolkata Circle; Mr. Jayant Singh, Chairman, Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), New Delhi; Mr. Deepak Kumar, Deputy Secretary, Services Division and Economic Intelligence Unit, NITI Aayog; Prof. Suthiphand Chirathivat, Chairman of the Board, Central Group, Bangkok, and Professor Emeritus, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok; Dr. Tafeem Siddiqui, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Flipkart; Mr. Yoshihisa Ishikawa, Consul General, Consulate of Japan, Kolkata; Ms. Sani Tamwoy, Deputy Consul-General, Consulate of Australia, Kolkata; Ms. Sabrin Chowdhury, First Secretary (Commercial), Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata; Mr. Aung Aung Myo Thein, Consul General, Consulate of Myanmar, Kolkata; Mr. Sunil KC, President, Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI); and Mr. Indronil Sengupta, Chairperson, ASEAN India Economic Council (AIEC), Vietnam, among others.
The Conclave addressed key dimensions of India’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific, including economic and financial integration, international trade, tariffs, infrastructure and connectivity, logistics, maritime cooperation, regional value chains, investment, strategic partnerships and people-to-people linkages. The discussions brought together perspectives from government, industry, financial institutions, multilateral organisations and international stakeholders, with a particular focus on the opportunities for Eastern India to strengthen its economic and strategic linkages with the wider Indo-Pacific region.
The Conclave drew robust participation from delegates and representatives associated with Indonesia, Thailand, Australia, Japan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Myanmar, reinforcing its international character and its role as a platform for dialogue between India and its extended neighbourhood. Discussions highlighted the strategic importance of Eastern India’s location, with Kolkata, the Bay of Bengal, ports, land corridors and connectivity infrastructure offering significant opportunities for deeper engagement with South and Southeast Asia. The deliberations also explored the role of Eastern India in advancing India’s Act East policy, strengthening regional supply chains and enhancing connectivity with neighbouring and partner economies.
Adding a distinctive and engaging dimension to the day-long programme, BCC&I hosted a Global Diplomatic Quiz, bringing together national-level quizzers from industry, academia and the consular corps. The first-of-its-kind initiative by BCC&I provided an interactive platform to explore the history, culture, diplomacy, economy and contemporary affairs of countries and regions connected to the Indo-Pacific. The quiz complemented the policy and business discussions of the Conclave while reinforcing the broader spirit of knowledge exchange, international understanding and people-to-people engagement.
The 4th edition of the Indo-Pacific Economic Conclave reaffirmed BCC&I’s commitment to building a sustained platform from Eastern India for dialogue on India’s external economic engagement and the future of the Indo-Pacific. With “Prashant Bharat ka Purvodaya” at its core, the Conclave placed Eastern India at the heart of conversations on trade, investment, connectivity, infrastructure, diplomacy and regional partnerships. Through continued engagement with governments, diplomatic missions, multilateral institutions, industry and international partners, BCC&I seeks to strengthen Kolkata’s role as a platform for business dialogue, economic cooperation, investment partnerships and regional connectivity, while advancing the larger vision of Purvodaya within India’s Indo-Pacific engagement.