West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met Tata Sons Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran at the Nabanna State Secretariat on 9 July, opening formal talks on expanding the conglomerate’s footprint in the state. Statements from the administration and the company said the discussion centred on fresh industrial projects and other public-private partnerships that could accelerate Bengal’s economic growth. The outreach signals a thaw in relations after Tata Motors abandoned its proposed Nano small-car plant in Singur in 2008 amid protests over land acquisition. The 997-acre plot was subsequently returned to farmers in 2016 following a Supreme Court verdict. Renewed collaboration with India’s largest industrial house would be a symbolic and financial boost for the state as it seeks investment ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. Banerjee has stepped up diplomacy with foreign partners as well. In late June she hosted Bangladesh’s new High Commissioner, M. Riaz Hamidullah, and on 8 July received Vietnam’s Ambassador, Nguyen Thanh Hai, who discussed trade opportunities and signalled interest in participating in the Bengal Global Business Summit. The flurry of meetings underscores the state government’s strategy to position West Bengal as a destination for regional and global investors.