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Mukesh Ambani on Wednesday announced a significant investment commitment of Rs 50,000 crore in West Bengal by the end of this decade
RIL Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh D Ambani. (PTI file photo)
Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani on Wednesday announced a significant investment commitment of Rs 50,000 crore in West Bengal by the end of this decade.
Speaking at the 8th Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) 2025, Ambani highlighted that this investment would create one lakh jobs in the state.
During his speech, Ambani announced five key commitments from Reliance, including expanding digital infrastructure, boosting retail presence, promoting Bengal’s artisan economy, advancing renewable energy projects, and continuing support for social initiatives like the Kalighat Temple renovation.
Here’s the full text of Mukesh Ambani’s speech:
Most Respected Chief Minister Mamata Didi,
Respected Chief Minister Hemant Soren Ji of Jharkhand,
Honourable Ministers of the West Bengal government,
Esteemed Dignitaries,
My dear friends from Industry, Shri Sanjiv Goenka, Shri Harsh Neotia,
Sajjan Jindal, Sanjiv Puri, and all my colleagues from Industry,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
A very warm good afternoon to each and every one of you.
It has been my privilege and honour to participate in the 8th Business Summit, 2025.
At the outset, I offer my prayers to Maa Kali, the Presiding Deity of Bengal. It is also my bounden duty to pay tributes to all the great sons and daughters of the sacred land of Bengal. From Swami Vivekananda to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, from Bankim Chandra Chatterjee to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, from Satyajit Ray to Hemanta Mukherjee, Bengal has produced towering leaders in spirituality, literature, arts, culture, and, of course, patriotism. Bengal has always been a land of renaissance. Now, Bengal is also witnessing a renaissance in its economy and business.
Friends,
I come from the western part of India. It is generally believed that the western states are leaders in economy and business. But this situation is changing rapidly. For proof, just look at this Global Business Summit.
Mamata Didi, my hearty congratulations to you and your government. What a splendid summit you have organised! Each time I come here – and I have attended every summit since 2016 – I think it cannot get better. But you have proved me wrong every single time. This summit is consistently becoming bigger and more prestigious. And today, we have 20 global partner countries with us. My warm welcome to each and every one of the countries.
And why is this so? Because I believe…
Today, Bengal means soaring vision.
Today, Bengal means mighty ambition.
Today, Bengal means efficient implementation.
In short, Bengal under Mamata Didi means Business. And Mamata Didi always means Business – business from her heart.
What the Chief Minister promises, her team delivers, as Sourav said. This is the hallmark of a great leader. And the fact that she has been in office for nearly 14 years means that Bengal has immensely benefited from policy continuity and her leadership.
My dear Mamata Didi,
Your name, Mamata, stands for empathy or compassion, but ‘Didi’ in your name stands for a tireless leader. You are empathy and energy personified. Just now, Mamata Didi told me she walks 64,000 steps. Sajjan and I were sitting with her, and we asked, “Oh, 64,000 steps a week?” She said, “No, 64,000 steps every single day.” That is the energy she has.
One of your own poems has a beautiful Bengali phrase, “Mayer Mukh Swargo Sukh” – it translates to, “A mother’s face is the bliss of Heaven.” It reflects the cultural sentiment in Bengal and beyond, where a mother’s love is considered sacred and divine.
Empathy for the common people is the guiding principle of all your policies and welfare schemes. This is most strikingly seen in your initiatives for the education of the girl child, women’s empowerment, and poverty alleviation. All of India needs this kind of inclusive and sustainable model of development, so that no Indian is left behind, and no region in India is left behind. Thank you for your leadership, Mamata Didi.
Esteemed Friends,
In today’s fast-changing world, India has become a beacon of growth and hope. Within this fast-changing India, Bengal has become a source of growth and hope. Therefore, it is the best time for investing in Bengal, as we are marching towards leadership based on technology and the power of our youth.
Bengal’s strategic location and fast-improving physical infrastructure give the state an enviable edge. But the biggest asset of Bengal is its people – over 100 million hard-working, extremely talented, and highly cultured individuals. In the emerging era of the Knowledge Economy, your State has a special advantage because Bengal has always been a land of super-intelligent people. When natural intelligence is enhanced by the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence, there is no way Bengal can fail. And no power on earth can stop Bengal’s resurgence.
Distinguished Friends,
Reliance’s commitment to Bengal’s all-around development remains unwavering. In 2016, when I first attended this Summit, Reliance’s investments stood below Rs 2,000 crore. Today, in less than a decade, our investments in Bengal have increased 20 times, and we have invested over Rs 50,000 crore. Mamata Didi, we shall double this investment by the end of this decade.
More importantly, our investments have created over one lakh direct jobs and spurred significant economic growth in West Bengal. Today, I want to make five specific commitments.
First: Digital Infrastructure and Services.
Back in 2016, Jio opened its commercial operations from Kolkata, this very city, the City of Joy. This auspicious launch has proven, Didi, very lucky for us. It not only triggered a Digital Revolution across all of India, but it also transformed India into a Digital Superpower! Today, Jio is not just the No. 1 digital services provider or data company in India; it is the No. 1 data company in the world, and this started from Kolkata.
By the end of 2023, Jio completed the fastest trans-national 5G rollout in the world. Jio’s network now covers 100% of Bengal’s population. I am particularly thankful to the people and our customers in Kolkata city, because they continue to maintain the record of the highest users of data in India on our Jio network.
From the bottom of my heart, gratitude to each and every citizen of Kolkata who uses Jio. I am also pleased to state that Jio has enriched and transformed rural Bengal. 5G has enabled school children and college students to access high-speed internet for their studies. Jio is beaming the world of entertainment and sports into every home and every smartphone.
As we speak, Jio is also building Bengal’s first cable landing station in Digha, so that we have fiber connectivity directly into West Bengal. It will be commissioned early next year and will become a gateway for Bengal’s digital leadership in eastern India.
I mentioned earlier the revolutionary power of Artificial Intelligence. AI is indispensable for India’s transformation into a Deep-Tech Nation with Advanced Manufacturing Capabilities. Jio is currently building the world’s best AI infrastructure in India.
Data Centres are at the heart of AI infrastructure. It gives me great pleasure to announce today that we have modified our Data Centre in Kolkata to a state-of-the-art AI-ready Data Centre, which will be ready in the next 9 months. Our fully indigenous 5G stack, coupled with the rapid rollout of JioFiber and AirFiber, will enable Bengal to use Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing, and other disruptive technologies to modernize every sector of its economy. This transformation will unleash new employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for millions in Bengal.
Most importantly, I hope that Jio’s AI infrastructure will attract the best minds in Bengal’s Diaspora to return to their State and start new enterprises and professions in their home state.
Second: Reliance Retail.
At present, we operate a network of over 1,300 stores in West Bengal, spanning an area of over 8 million sq. ft. across 400+ cities in West Bengal. We plan to expand our network to 1,700 stores in the next three years, operating 2.2 million sq. ft. of warehouses in the State.
Our New Commerce and Express Delivery business has empowered lakhs of kiranas in the State by bringing them under the umbrella of modern retail. This has enabled them to increase their productivity and income, and reap the benefits of scale.
Third: Reliance is deeply committed to encourage and expand Bengal’s fabulous artisan economy.
Swadesh, our new initiative, is supporting the priceless and incredible diverse heritage of India’s arts and crafts. It provides a platform for the best in Bengal to make their products available all over India and now all over the world.
For example, we are selling through our Indian and global Retail and Swadesh stores, which we will open in London, New York, and Paris, Bengal’s finest Jamdani and Taant Sarees, Baluchari, Murshidabad, Bishnupur, and Tussar silk sarees, Kantha sarees, Muslin, as well as Jute & Khadi products made in Bengal. Similarly, in food products, we have partnered with several regional brands like Bisk Farm, Anmol, Raja, City Gold, Prabhuji, and Bishwa Bangla, which are household names in Bengal. But I believe they will be popular names across India and the world, providing all these brands unprecedented distribution in India and globally.
Fourth: Reliance’s New Energy Initiative will begin its operations by the end of 2025.
It is our endeavour to make India the world’s biggest manufacturing hub for clean and green energy. In this, Reliance would like to contribute to Bengal’s green economy. Our motto is: “Solar Bangla for Sonar Bangla.” And we look forward to contributing with solar energy.
Fifth: The Reliance Foundation is privileged to partner with the State Government and serve in the Kalighat Temple renovation project.
Mamata Didi, I have to thank you personally for giving us this opportunity to serve. Most of this excellent work is carried out by the State Government, and it has been done with the spirit of devotion. Our Foundation remains committed to serving the needs of the state and contributing to various initiatives of the Government in making the people’s lives better.
Dear Friends,
My family has a deep and reverential attachment to the Punya Bhoomi of Bengal. Our investment in Bengal is not only financial. More importantly, it is an emotional investment. Most of it is led by our respect for Didi.
As one of the leading private sector employers in Bengal, today I have both a recommendation and an appeal to make to potential investors – to those who are present here today and those who are not.
Reliance has had a wonderful experience doing business in this State. Mamata Didi is one of the most ablest administrators in India. With Didi at the helm, the business community receives a Red-Carpet treatment in Bengal.
Bountiful Bengal beckons you. So, friends, come to Bengal, and script new and beautiful chapters in Bengal’s growth story. And the Hon’ble Chief Minister, Mamata Didi, once more I assure you that Reliance will always be a reliable partner.
Your Bengal is Our Bengal. Please count on us.
Dhonyobad Didi!
Dhonyobad Kolkata!
Thank you so very much.