10th Sep (Monday): Presentation by UMTC on Light Rail Transport (LRT)
16th Sep (Sunday): Starting of weeklong activity in Rabindra Tirtha
19th Sep (Wed): Inauguration by Minister of Sculptor Workshop and two Children's Parks in New Town
22 Sep (Sat): Road show on Financial Hub at Mumbai
27 Sep (Thu): World Tourism Day at Digha
* * *
Here is a clipping from Times of India published few days ago:
All the best for the Mumbai roadshow. Is Dr. Amit Mitra participating as well?
ReplyDeleteA successful event at Mumbai would definitely create a lot of job opportuniities here in the long run. prospective investors would be able to understand Kolkata's finance hub and compare it with BKC. I am seriously hoping that your team would be able to get some business here. Wish you the very best of luck!
Sir,
ReplyDeleteIt's been great effort by you and your team which can make an impulse for Kolkata International Financial Hub.
It could be better if we can spread the wave internationally also(though we have some constraints). And also we can think for online media campaign for it or publishing the AD(As appeared in TOI nationally) in leading international business magazines or dailies.
It's been sheer delight to meet you personally today morning.I was quite surprised to see you there.And I was astonished to see that you waiting for your turn just like anybody.I was amazed.
Thank you again for giving me opportunity to interact with you and hope that I shall meet you again in near future.
Thanks & Regards
Samit
Sir,
ReplyDeleteI saw the advertisement for Financial hub in Economic Times Bangalore Edition. We need more such advertisements in the finance magazines as well as the finance TV channels ( CNBC etc) at least before this road show.
To make the road show a real success and to generate a nation wide buzz, I think it will be great if we can have the following things done:
I can give you some quick pointers:
1. You can take a look at the website of financial hub that is being planned in Ahmadabad.
http://giftgujarat.in/masterplan/vision.aspx
In this age, I think it is an absolute must to have a one-stop website for New Town Finance hub, rather than adding a page in HIDCO website.
2. Also the twin towers that we had planned needs to be started at the earliest. Ahmadabad is already ready with this.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/two-towersgift-city-to-opensept/482065/
3. I had a look at the finance Hub presentation by HIDCO.
http://www.wbhidcoltd.com/About_hidco/Financial_Hub.pdf
Perhaps a lot of effort has gone into making this, but believe me, I am not doing negative criticism , this seems like an amateur presentation when compared to GIFT ( Ahmadabad Finance Hub) . They have started benchmarking with the global finance hubs already.
A link of the presentation from the Stanford website: http://crgp.stanford.edu/events/presentations/India/GIFT.pdf
In comparison, HIDCO presentation has filled 2-3 pages with photos of Honorable CM inaugurating the finance hub.
4. The fourth and the final point which can generate lakhs of jobs ( and I really mean lakhs of jobs). Can we convince the Centre to establish Kolkata as an international financial centre (IFC)?
Here goes an interview by Percy Mistry who wanted to make IFC in Bombay and Gujrat Govt has already taken up the idea.
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/we-have-a-suffocating-financial-system/197452/0
Gujrat Govt, is trying hard for this:
http://freepress.in/26/gujarat-international-finance-tec-city-part-1/
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-06-01/news/31959392_1_dena-bank-first-phase-corporation-bank
If Kolkata can make this, we can quickly replicate the success of Bombay as a financial hub in India and target to be a global hub.
A background study of IFC:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/policy/case-for-an-indian-offshore-financial-centre/articleshow/5888043.cms?curpg=1
However the stance of present govt for SEZ can act as a dampener in this case.
Anything new on plans for Digha?
ReplyDeleteWith the ropeway idea already seems to be frozen because of ICZM, can we have at least some of the following 5-6 points quickly done in the near future?
1. 4 laning of NandaKumar-Digha Road by NHAI
2. Completion of total station survey for Digha-Mandarmani road and preparing the DPR and eventually staring the work for road construction?
3. Betterment of facilities in Tajpur. This one seems to be pretty underdeveloped.
4. CASINOs in Digha-Mandarmani.
5. Water Scooters / Hoovercraft from Kolkata.
6. If not anything else, at least completion of Digha Gates.
If Shah Rukh Khan promo turns out to be good, we can expect a good number of tourists from all across the nation, but they should not get shocked after the first visit, as most of them will compare the infrastructure with Goa ( roads, amenities in hotels, cleanliness, etc).
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ReplyDeleteThought about mentioning this point. In case you or your UD officials feel, that Ahmadabad Finance Hub ( GIFT) is already well ahead of New Town Finance Hub, that is not the ground reality.
ReplyDeleteOnly the two towers are under construction and they are trying to ready this before Vibrant Gujrat 2013 summit ( Like our Bengal Leads Summit).
This is a recent picture:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=94693723&postcount=1590
But the point here is they are doing a fantastic marketing all across the globe, even in Singapore, and in spite of the fact that New Town has a better infrastructure, we are not highlighting that.
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-12-15/news/30520461_1_singapore-firms-singapore-government-financial-sector
Gujrat is definitely dreaming big and marketing this big and I think there is no harm in doing that , rather than targeting some PSU Banks only.
http://www.dnaindia.com/money/column_gujarats-gift-is-it-a-challenge-to-mumbai_1132230
Are we ready with the list of Banks / Mutual Funds / NBFCs / Brokerage Houses / Financial Service BPO / KPOs we are targeting for the road show?
If you want, I can email you about the details of heads of some of these firms.
@Samit: It was great meeting you too yesterday. I wonder if you ca help me execute an online campaign for the Financial Hub. Led by you, if all net savyy young residents of Bengal can join hands constructively, we will spread the word faster.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteLRT and monorail is best suitable for Kolkata. I am a big fan of Metro rail, LRT and Monorail. I studied it during my stay in Japan as it was implemented. My dream is to see our Kolkata running LRT/Monorail. I love to see LRT/Monorails running on below routes:
1. Sealdah Stn - Park Circus - Gariahat - Dhakuria - Jadavpur - Garia
2. Ruby - Kasba - Gariahat - Rasbehari - Chetla - New Alipur - Taratala
3. Saltlake karunamoyee - Beleghata - College Street - Sealdah Stn
4. DumDum Air port - Nagerbazar - VIP road - Ultadanga - sovabajar Metro
Thanks,
Chayan
@Chayan: Can you email any relevant information on LRT / Monorail from your Japanese study that may be useful here?
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your concern. I lived in japan for 6 months this year for my company assignment.
ReplyDeleteBeing a fan of Metro/LRT/Monorail I studied a few things about the implementation of it in japan.
As a resident of Tachikawa, Japan, I used to travel on Tama Monorail.
Below linked website tells the brief information about Tama Monorail
http://www.monorails.org/tmspages/Tamanew.html
I feel information mentioned in above website will be very useful if we are to implement it in Kolkata.
Monorail has been already implemented in Mumbai and on 28th August 2012, Urban Development Ministry has declared to implement Monorail in Delhi. Being a big fan of monorail I always dreamed it in Kolkata.
Below are few points I am feeling to share with you:
1. Since Monorail runs on a single track very narrow space is required for it’s track. That’s why it is very useful in a congested city like Kolkata
2. Rolling Stocks are very light in design and have only 3-4 compartments in one vehicle.
3. It can run on 5-10 minutes interval on busy hours due to automatic signaling.
4. Trains run on magnetic single track. Probably it takes power from third line [Not sure about it, but there is no overhead]
5. All the tracks and platforms are elevated and takes least space. Usually, in japan, tama-monorail stations are very narrow and constructed as elevated above the road.
6. Trains are not very fast. Average speed will be 60-70 KMPH.
7. Distances between adjacent stations are very less [600m – 1km]
8. Mono rail lines are the connections between different metro lines and busy roads.
9. In all the platforms, gates are installed such that, it only opens when gates of the train opens to prevent suicides.
10. There is a common smart card system (Suica / Pasmo) which can be used on all the metro lines, monorails, Tram, Bus even in some taxi also.
11. Stations have some commercial space also, having coffee shop, fastfood center, shopping areas.
12. Train outside is used for commercial advertisements.
I dreamed below routes of monorails in Kolkata. I have the reasons also:
1. Sealdah Stn - Park Circus - Gariahat - Dhakuria - Jadavpur - Garia
[Reason: Connecting all the busiest and congestaed area of south Calcutta]
2. Ruby - Kasba - Gariahat - Rasbehari - Chetla - New Alipur – Taratala
[Reason: Connects Airport-NG metro, Ballyganj Stn, monorail route-1, DumDum-NG metro and other busy areas]
3. Saltlake karunamoyee - Beleghata - College Street - Sealdah Stn
[Reason: Connects East-west metro, Sealdah Stn, Saltlake area and other busy areas]
4. DumDum Air port - Nagerbazar - VIP road - Ultadanga - sovabajar Metro
[Reason: Connects DumDum-NG metro, Airport and other busy areas]
@Chayan: Great inputs. I visited the link too. I'll try to see the Mumbai monorail when I visit there on 22nd
ReplyDelete