Kolkata/IBNS: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday declared former cricketer and ex-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Sourav Ganguly as the brand ambassador of her state.

Addressing the Global Business Summit 2023 in Kolkata, Banerjee said: "Sourav Ganguly is a very popular figure and he can work for the young generation in a very good manner. I want to involve him as the Brand Ambassador of Bengal."

She also urged Ganguly to accept the offer and told him: "Don't say no. Always say yes because we must be positive...we must be constructive."

The Bengal Global Business Summit is an annual event hosted by the Mamata Banerjee government that sees participation from several companies across countries, including the UK, US, Australia, Korea, Japan, Germany, and France. The two-day summit commenced on Tuesday.

Inaugurating the summit, Banerjee unveiled a series of new policies aimed at doubling the state's exports, upgrading logistical infrastructure, and fostering renewable energy manufacturing.

She also introduced initiatives promoting biofuels and a new sub-sea cable landing station in Digha to bolster internet connectivity in the eastern region.

The summit's inauguration this year saw a gathering of prominent business leaders, including Mukesh Ambani of Reliance Industries, Sanjeev Goenka from the energy sector, and Rishad Premji of Wipro.