India, July 5 -- For four decades, political instability has prevented investment and business growth in the Darjeeling Hills, but the region is now poised for a turnaround stated businessman and politician Ajoy Edwards, at the Siliguri-Darjeeling Conclave 2026, organised by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BNCCI) and hosted by Techno India. The conclave, held in Darjeeling on Saturday, focused on the growth potential and economic development of North Bengal. "For 40 years there has been no business growth in terms of investments. There are immense opportunities in the Darjeeling Hills, but political strife has robbed the region of them. Capital needs peace and stability. However, we are optimistic that this is set to change. Darjeeling will definitely rise," Edwards said.
He stressed that the Hills must "open up for business" with ease of doing business, minimal red tape and a balance between capital and labour. "After having lost decades, we want to become a part of the country's progress map," he added, assuring support from the local business community. Ashok Kumar Banik, President of BNCCI, called for cooperation across sectors for the region's overall development. Ritwik Das, Chairman, Industry and Foreign Trade, BNCCI, said development should not remain "Kolkata-centric" and stressed decentralisation. He said BNCCI would act as a bridge between the local business community and the government while also identifying gaps in sectors such as health and education and working towards solutions.
Das announced that BNCCI would organise a major convention in Darjeeling after the monsoon to attract investors from India and abroad, with a focus on mid-sized businesses. "Without a strong economic backbone, a nation cannot progress," he said. Nirmalya Acharjee, Deputy General Manager, Techno India, the largest educational conglomerate in East India, stated "Techno India is eager to enter into collaborations in education and hospitality sectors. We could try something out of the box- a tea trail involving tea and tourism." BNCCI has plans to open up a chapter in North Bengal. A committee will be constituted soon to focus on North Bengal. Bidisha Basu, Chairperson of BNCCI's Women's Empowerment Committee, proposed training young women from tea gardens in smartphone content creation and digital marketing while promoting cinema tourism through women owned enterprises including organic tea kiosks and homestays. "Siliguri is rapidly emerging as the commercial gateway while Darjeeling continues to uphold its educational heritage. Together, they can make North Bengal a major hub for education, innovation, industry and entrepreneurship," said Soham Banik of the BNCCI.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.