Recalling the strong presence of Rajasthani-origin businessmen in West Bengal and their close ties with the home state, Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje on Tuesday invited them to invest in her state.
The Marwari community is very prominent in Bengal and controls a majority of the state capital's industries.
Talking to the city's businessmen, who are mostly of Rajasthani origin, Raje said: "Rajasthan and Kolkata have for centuries shared a very special relationship. We consider this city our home away from home. I am here today to invite you to see for yourself the opportunities in the state."
She said that in the state's last business summit, Rajasthan concluded agreements worth a potential of Rs.1.77 lakh crore with investors.
However, Rs.33,000-40,000 crore worth investments actually materialised and Japanese and Korean firms were actively participating in the state's industrialisation.
Talking about Kolkata's history and the role of the Marwari community in developing the city's business, Raje said: "We are very proud of this close bond between our two states and value it immensely. This linkage has been the reason behind the flourishing commerce and industry in both the states."
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"We hope to develop a more robust partnership by inviting investment from Bengal and the rest of eastern India, of which this city is the pre-eminent business hub," she said.
Raje said mining, IT and IT-enabled services, automobiles, housing and infrastructure, power and renewable energy and tourism were among the focus areas where investments can be made.
"Solar power companies are directly dealing with farmers to use their land to set up solar panels. We can produce 25,000 MW of electricity and are at present looking for ways to do this," she said.
The chief minister said her state was also keen to develop 6-7 enclaves in the haveli-dotted Shekhawati region as smart cities while preserving its cultural heritage and promoting the locations as tourism destinations.
"One of the key areas we are looking at is housing and we are also coming up with a new housing policy," she said.
Raje said businesses from Kolkata can look for alternative uses of jute, and Rajasthan may help them in resurgence of this industry.
On Rajasthan attracting foreign investment, she said: "A second (industrial) zone for Japan is coming up."
According to the chief minister, Japanese and Korean firms had excellent results on their investment in the state.
Apart from these investment areas, she said opportunities for foreign collaborations as well as domestic ones exist in areas of skill development and the state was collaborating with a Singapore-based firm to come up with a project in Udaipur.
Raje led a delegation comprising the state's Higher Education Minister Kali Charan Saraf, Transport and Public Works Department Minister Yunus Khan and principal secretary for small industries and Khadi Gramodyog Rajeeva Swarup.