Kolkata: Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, on February 5, pledged a new investment of ₹50,000 crore in West Bengal by 2030. He made the announcement while addressing the 8th Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) 2025.

While addressing the summit, Ambani said, “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 are 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.”

While making five specific commitments at the Summit Ambani said, “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 proved, Didi, very lucky for us. It not only triggered a Digital Revolution across the whole of India. It transformed India into a Digital Superpower! Today, Jio is not just the No.1 digital services provider or the 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 specially 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 smart phone. 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,” he added.

“I mentioned earlier about 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, and that will be ready in the next 9 months. Our fully indigenous 5G stack, coupled with rapid rollout of JioFiber and AirFiber, will enable Bengal to use Artificial Intelligence, Cloud Computing and other disruptive technologies to modernise every sector of its economy. This transformation will unleash new employment and entrepreneurial opportunities to 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,” Ambani further said.

The business tycoon also said, “Second: I turn to 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 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,” he said.

“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,” RIL MD said.

Ambani went on to say, “Fourth: Reliance’s New Energy Initiative will begin its operations in 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 contribute to various initiatives of the Government in making the people’s lives better,” he added. DeshGujarat