Industry welcomes West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari

Goenka, who described himself as emotionally connected to West Bengal, said he looked forward to contributing to the state in every way I can. ITC chairman and managing director Sanjiv Puri also congratulated Adhikari and extended greetings to the newly formed council of ministers.

Industry leaders on Saturday congratulated Suvendu Adhikari on being sworn in as West Bengal chief minister, with many expressing hope for a new chapter of growth in the state. RPG Group chairman Sanjiv Goenka, who called it ''a historic moment for West Bengal'', said the state has ''great expectations'' from Adhikari. Goenka, who described himself as emotionally connected to West Bengal, said he looked forward to contributing to the state ''in every way I can.'' ITC chairman and managing director Sanjiv Puri also congratulated Adhikari and extended greetings to the newly formed council of ministers. Puri expressed confidence that the state would witness a ''new dawn of growth and prosperity'' under the new leadership and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of a 'Viksit Bharat' would serve as a guiding inspiration for the state's progress. ''As an Indian conglomerate headquartered in Kolkata for over a century, ITC remains committed to partnering the state in its journey of socio-economic development with our growing footprint across agriculture, manufacturing and services,'' Puri said. ITC, with a market capitalisation of around Rs 3.8 lakh crore as of May, has business interests spanning FMCG, cigarettes, hotels, paperboards and packaging, agri-business and information technology, and is among the prominent corporate employers in West Bengal. Naresh Pachisia, president of the Bharat Chamber of Commerce, Kolkata, described the swearing-in as ''not merely a constitutional transition'' but the dawn of a new chapter in Bengal's journey towards progress, prosperity, stability and renewed confidence. He said the electoral mandate reflected the aspirations of millions of citizens who have reposed their faith in a future defined by development, transparent governance, industrial resurgence, employment generation and social harmony. The Indian Jute Mills Association's former chairman also welcomed Adhikari as chief minister, noting that the new CM had developed an early familiarity with the jute sector during his initial years with the BJP.