Mumbai, May 5 (IANS) West Bengal holds significant untapped potential for industrial investment and the time is ripe for change, Vir S Advani, Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Western Region and CMD of Blue Star Limited said on Tuesday.

Speaking to IANS, Advani said that West Bengal presents a strong opportunity for industrial growth.

He highlighted that the state has historically seen limited participation from the manufacturing sector compared to other regions.

“In West Bengal, we think that there is a lot of opportunity. In the state, there has been very little investment from the industry. There has been some investment in real estate, but there has been less in the industry,” he said.

Speaking about the broader agenda for the CII Western Region, Advani said the focus will be on enhancing competitiveness across industries, especially among small and medium enterprises that form nearly 80 per cent of its 2,500 members.

He emphasised that competitiveness is no longer just about cost efficiency but also about improving quality, accelerating digitalisation, and adopting sustainable practices.

“We will focus on quality and digitalisation. We will focus on sustainability. We have to invest a lot in all these areas so that our capabilities increase,” he told IANS.

He added that strengthening capabilities across the supply chain will be key to making Indian industry globally competitive.

Alongside this, the CII plans to intensify policy advocacy across key western states including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa, with a focus on improving ease of doing business and reducing operational costs for companies.

Advani also flagged the sharp rise in raw material prices due to geopolitical tensions in West Asia, noting that the air conditioning industry has seen costs rise by 8-10 per cent in a short span.

He described this as one of the steepest increases in over a decade, comparable only to the post-global financial crisis period.

While companies are working on engineering changes, redesign, and renegotiation to offset some of the cost pressures, he said a portion of the increase is likely to be passed on to consumers.

“So, this cost increase will take a long time. We will see. The entire industry is working to optimise the design and reduce the cost,” he told IANS.

–IANS

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