By IANS,
Kolkata : The industrialisation process seems to have got a filip after Industry Minister Nirupam Sen visited Germany in April 2008, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said here Monday.
“The visit has accelerated business relationship between the two countries,” the chief minister said, addressing Bengal-Bavaria Business Summit 2008.
A Bengal Centre was been set up in Germany April 15. The centre would establish contacts with Germany and European companies and governments and help to bring in more companies to India, he said.
Bhattacharjee said the state must adopt a balanced policy of agriculture, service sector and industrial growth, that will help to raise the living standards of the poorest of the poor.
He said three important areas of business both in Bavaria and India are communication, automotive and IT.
Sen said the whole initiative is to ask people from Germany to “come, see and explore opportunities” in West Bengal.
Guenter Wehrmann, German consul general, said: “The bilateral trade between two countries stood at 12 billion euros last year. It grew at the rate of 14 percent.”
He explained the key to successful trade relationship with Germany is supplying top-notch quality goods and to deliver them on time.
At present, the German companies, present in West Bengal are Phoenix Yule, Siemens, Bosch, Lufthansa, SMS MEER, Metro Cash & Carry and BMW.