Come, Make in Bengal, 'Things Are Changing': Mamata Banerjee in London

London: A selfie may seem out of character for Mamata Banerjee, but in London, the West Bengal Chief Minister adapted quickly to the calling-card now standard for Indian politicians.

The 60-year-old, accompanied by a large entourage of top officials and industrialists, is in London for four days to seek foreign investment for a state that has not had a particularly productive relationship with industry.

"See the perception has changed... investments will come over a period of time," said Ms Banerjee in London.

She has already signed 22 MoUs - what amount to formal commitment of interest in investment in Bengal - in sectors including health, education and urban development. Some deals are being struck with the UK government, though the value of the deals is not yet clear.

It was Ms Banerjee's fierce opposition to the setting up of a large Nano factory that forced Tata Motors to relocate to Gujarat in 2008. Three years later, riding her popularity as a pro-farmer campaigner, she was voted to power, ending over three decades of the Left's rule of Bengal. Since taking over as Chief Minister, Ms Banjerjee has promised a smooth ride for industry, but outsourcing giant Infosys is reportedly rethinking plans to set up an IT park in Kolkata, a project that is worth several thousand crores, because the Mamata Banerjee government is not willing to give it the status of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

The government claims that since taking office, nearly Rs 85,000 crore of investments have come into operational and new projects in the state. It is a figure the Opposition questions as they claim they have never been given clear details and names of investors, not even in the Assembly last year.

"This jugglery (of figures) is essential for the Trinamool in election year... they are not being able to name projects, they are not being able to name concrete industrial houses that are coming to West Bengal," said Fuad Halim of the CPM.