Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a programme in New Town on Monday. (Express photo) Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at a programme in New Town on Monday. (Express photo) Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday laid the foundation stone for her government’s flagship project ‘Silicon Valley’ in New Town. Inviting more investors to the state, Mamata said during the programme, “Silicon Valley was my target and my challenge too. If America has a Silicon Valley, Bengal must have one too. If the investors want more land I will request Debashis Sen (Additional Chief Secretary of Bengal, IT department) to keep another 100 acres of land for them. Bengal has a good track record. We have land…we have power. I will request my friends to invest in Bengal.” It was announced that Infosys will invest approximately Rs 100 crore in the first phase for a 5,25,000 square feet facility. “On this special occasion, I would like to thank Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for giving Infosys a unique opportunity to be part of this prestigious project and further strengthen our presence in the country,” said Salil Parekh, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Infosys. The state will develop the project on the lines of the Silicon Valley in California. According to officials, it will include world-class technology, green building offices and a Tier 4 cloud-based data centre. “Bengal is always there for pro-industry people. We are technology-friendly. Our government has received so many awards for e-governance, e taxation etc. I believe about 894 IT companies are operating from here. Before investment please check key parameters and compare where Bengal stands. Bengal has the lowest operation cost in the country. In future, Bengal will emerge as the best IT hub,” the chief minister said. “Bengaluru and Hyderabad are more congested now. In Bengal you will get more talented people so come and invest here. Bengalis are everywhere, they give you more number of researchers. There are Bengalis in NASA also,” she added. The Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation has already earmarked 100 acres of urban land at Action Area II beside the Biswa Bangla Sarani near Eco Park. Start your day the best way with the Express Morning Briefing For all the latest Kolkata News, download Indian Express App

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