New Delhi, May 4 -- Kolkata: West Bengal maintains connectivity to 8% of India's landmass in the northeast that shares a border with China and Myanmar, among others. However, the geopolitically important state has sustained consistent declines in its economic fortune over the last six decades. There have been demographic changes, too. The assembly election result, therefore, is crucial-the new government in the state would need to press the accelerator on attracting manufacturing investments while investing in human resources and infrastructure. In short, the tough task is to meet people's aspirations by reinvigorating growth.

The 'Bhadrolok', or upper-class groups, of Kolkata were shamed when they read about how the rest of India is com...