00:00Always wanted to be in West Bengal was at Kolkata.
00:06ICC was kind enough to have me here and this invitation started, was given to me, extended to me
00:12when the previous government was in West Bengal.
00:16Yesterday I had the great opportunity to meet the Honorable Chief Minister Subinduji.
00:21We spent good amount of time and I was just amazed with the kind of energy the Honorable Chief Minister
00:27had
00:28and I realized that now Andhra Pradesh has a new state also to compete with which is West Bengal.
00:34Saying that Andhra Pradesh is always open to doing business, I believe that when states compete, India wins.
00:42I believe that India's growth story is just starting off, is just about unlocking and states like Andhra
00:47have to lead that growth story from the front.
00:50While the Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji is opening up the entire regulatory framework,
00:56is deregulating various sectors, areas.
01:01But central government obviously can bring in the frameworks and the policies,
01:05but the execution happens at the state level.
01:08So what makes it very exciting for states like Andhra is to lead from the front,
01:12be part of the entire reform cycle and that's what we've done across.
01:17Naiduji is now in his version 4.0.
01:19This is his fourth term as the Chief Minister.
01:22He brings the same energy, but he's also back with a very young team.
01:2650% of our MLAs are first-timers, 17 out of 25 ministers are first-timers.
01:31So we bring a lot of energy, passion and that is why we're able to attract 25% of investments
01:36coming into,
01:38investments being made in India to the great state of Andhra Pradesh.
01:41And I believe this is just the beginning.
01:43And I know my Chief Minister is not exactly happy with our performance.
01:46He'll be happy when we have 50% of the investments coming to Andhra Pradesh.
01:49We're here to compete.
01:50I believe when states compete, India wins, Bharat wins.
01:53And I believe that Andhra Pradesh should lead the way.
01:56So as part of that journey, I'm here.
01:58I'm meeting with entrepreneurs, industrialists, second, third generation entrepreneurs
02:01who are really excited about growing the business.
02:03Few of them have already made investments in Andhra who are looking at expanding.
02:08Quite a few of them are looking at expanding to Andhra Pradesh.
02:12So I believe that this is the beginning of a great relationship and a journey
02:15between West Bengal and the great state of Andhra Pradesh.
02:19Sir, you met Honorable CM yesterday.
02:22Any discussions on a collaborative approach as far as the investment opportunities are concerned
02:28between Andhra and West Bengal?
02:30No, absolutely.
02:31The Honorable Chief Minister was very open and we exchanged notes on welfare development
02:37projects that's happening in the two great states.
02:41And there are specific areas that we thought we can work together, even starting with Aqua
02:45and few other sectors where even Andhra entrepreneurs are looking at expanding.
02:50And Sir said, you know, he'll provide a nice sort of a landing pad here in the great state
02:56of West Bengal.
02:57Apart from that, I requested the Honorable CM to give land so that we can
03:01build Lord Balaji's temple here.
03:03And Sir was very kind enough.
03:04He jumped at it and said, done.
03:07Send your team over.
03:08Let's do it.
03:08August, I'll come and do Darshan.
03:10And then we will definitely take that project forward.
03:13So there's a lot of energy.
03:13We exchange ideas around industrial policy, land pooling policy and land acquisition policy,
03:21how Andhra is able to acquire land.
03:22He really wanted us to share notes.
03:26And definitely there's a lot that we can learn from West Bengal.
03:29And we agree to remain in touch and exchange ideas on a real-time basis.
03:33And honestly, our CM is available on WhatsApp real-time.
03:36So I'm scared to leave him a message because 10 minutes later I get a reply from him.
03:40He's a very hyper chief minister.
03:42Sir, do you think that Bengal right now, with the new government coming in,
03:47it is quite conducive to have business over here than the previous government?
03:51Or did you try to have any business talk with the previous government with no hopes at all?
03:57See, honestly, my interaction with the previous administration was zero.
04:03But since the new government and India government has come here in the great state of Bengal,
04:09definitely there's renewed energy.
04:11Talking to the entrepreneurs, second, third, fourth generation entrepreneurs,
04:14there's renewed energy, commitment and I had the opportunity to meet the CM
04:19and the sheer energy and the passion he had to learn and learn from the best practices across the country.
04:25It truly amazed me.
04:27It was very, it was an humbling experience for a minister from Andhra Pradesh.
04:31That how open we should also be to ideas and the CM is willing to take feedback, ideas and the
04:37kind of questions he has.
04:38Is it like this, that you did not show any interest in doing business with the previous government?
04:43Or this is the thing, that with this double engine, you are more interested in having a conversation with CM
04:51Shubendo.
04:53See, double engines are cars are very clear.
04:56I mean, India in the central government, India in the state is the only way that states and the nation
05:01can be developed.
05:02No second thoughts about it.
05:03And I believe that's the right movement.
05:05Because earlier, with all fairness, policies would not go forward.
05:08Welfare also was scuttled.
05:10So, there were various other challenges.
05:12So now, I truly believe the environment is conducive.
05:15There's a lot more willingness to learn from each other.
05:19And being an India state, it's obviously easier to work with another India state.
05:23So, you know, honestly, while states have double engine sarkars, I believe Andhra Pradesh has double engine bullet train sarkar.
05:29So, Namo in the rest of India is Narendra Modi ji.
05:32Namo in Andhra Pradesh is Naidu ji and Modi ji ka jodi.
05:36So, I think that there's a lot that we can learn from other states.
05:39And I believe that this is the beginning of a wonderful journey between Bengal and Andhra Pradesh together.
05:45Sir, now that the government has changed in West Bank, how is the environment of the business entrant?
05:52What do you feel?
05:53See, I think it's very unfair for me to make any judgments because I have left my business life in
06:012013.
06:02So, I'm not an active investor now.
06:04But what I've learned from, you know, the chamber and my interactions with various people since last evening is that
06:12there's a lot of energy.
06:13A lot of energy that's come back.
06:16That, yes, now it's our time.
06:18Now, yes, Bengal has a chance to grow.
06:20So, it's, I think, a welcome change.
06:22This is what happens when India governments are elected, both at the state and at the national level.
06:27And I believe this is the beginning of a wonderful journey.
06:30And I believe that states should compete.
06:32And that brings the best out of us, right?
06:34When states compete, competition is always good.
06:36And when states compete, India wins.
06:38Bharat wins.
06:39And that's the motto with which we'll all work together.
06:42All India states will work together.
06:43So, apart from the temple, Walaji, you have mentioned, any other sector or industry you are collaborating with West Bengal
06:53government?
06:53And specifically, you have mentioned about the temple.
06:56Any area that is mentioned?
06:58Just to join to that question.
07:00So, any specific, what you said, an area, like a land which has been told?
07:04This is the location where you already might be getting the land?
07:07No, it's going to be in Kolkata.
07:09In Kolkata only.
07:10The land, honestly, you should give us some time.
07:13The conversation only happened last night.
07:15I do deliver on the speed of doing business.
07:17But we'll have to give a little bit of time for the officials to come.
07:20Because there's a body and there's a proper process we follow when TTD finalizes a certain land.
07:27So, the leadership will come.
07:29They'll meet with the leadership here.
07:30I'm sure we'll finalize it quickly.
07:33Saying that, you know, we agreed that we'll exchange notes in sectors like aqua,
07:38land pooling scheme that we have done in Andhra.
07:40We agreed we'll exchange notes.
07:42And I believe that this is just the beginning.
07:44And definitely, I'll come back with a delegation of entrepreneurs who are looking at investing in Bengal and vice versa.
07:52And both states have common thing is pay or payroll.
07:57Of course.
07:57Any court development with some type of investment?
08:01See, it's just the beginning.
08:03It's the first interaction I've had with the Honorable Chief Minister.
08:07He was very kind to come and host me here.
08:10And I believe that this is just the beginning of a wonderful journey.
08:13Definitely, we will look at a lot more closer economic ties between both the states.
08:19And yes, on the eastern seaboard, we have the longest coastline.
08:22We contribute substantively to the entire port-led economy.
08:26Three more new ports are coming on stream in Andhra Pradesh soon.
08:30So, I think it's a matter of six months.
08:32So, definitely moving goods using the ports is a lot cheaper than rail or even road transportation.
08:40So, closer economic ties will get built.
08:42And I think this is just the beginning.
08:43Sir, last question from me is since you are doing great in stealth, so do you have any plans of
08:49investing or maybe doing any start-up or any business over here in West Bengal pertaining to stealth aircraft?
08:56No, see, that we should let the Raksha Mantri decide.
09:01The AMCA project was, of course, from handshake to grounding was 36-37 days, which I believe
09:07is history, 600 acres given for the project with access to a runway.
09:11I think that's just the beginning of the journey.
09:13And I'm sure India, under the leadership of our Honorable Prime Minister, will invest more
09:18in making India defense products.
09:20And I think this is just the beginning.
09:21So, ranging from drones to missiles to fighter jets, we need the entire ecosystem coming in
09:28India.
09:29And I'm sure, excuse me, states can exchange, states can learn from each other in how to build
09:34these ecosystems.
09:36Thanks.
09:39Jai Hind.
09:40Thank you, ma'am Jai Hind.
09:42Appreciate it.
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