Mamata Meets Tata Sons Chairman in Singur Full Circle Plot

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Ahead of 2026 Assembly Elections, TMC-led West Bengal Govt Signals Renewed Industrial Push

By TRH State Desk

Kolkata, July 9, 2025 — In a politically significant meeting, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons. The meeting underscored a fresh chapter in the state’s industrial narrative.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) described the interaction as a “constructive dialogue on Bengal’s industrial growth and emerging opportunities”, and said the meeting reflected the state’s commitment to “fostering meaningful public-private partnerships that drive innovation, investment, and inclusive development.”

The meeting is being widely viewed as a symbolic thawing of relations between Mamata Banerjee’s administration and the Tata Group — nearly two decades after the dramatic and politically charged Singur land agitation that had derailed Tata’s ambitious Nano car project in the state.

The Singur Legacy: A Turning Point in Bengal’s Industrial Story

In 2006, Tata Motors had chosen Singur, a fertile agricultural belt in Hooghly district, to set up its small car Nano manufacturing plant, with then Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee backing the move under his Left Front government’s industrialisation drive. The project promised jobs and economic activity but soon faced stiff resistance.

Mamata Banerjee, then the opposition leader, led a high-voltage agitation against the alleged forcible acquisition of farmland from unwilling farmers. The protest, which gained national prominence, was rooted in the demand that 400 acres of the 1,000 acres acquired be returned to those unwilling to sell.

After months of unrest, protests, and political turmoil, Tata Motors announced its exit from Singur in 2008, relocating the Nano plant to Sanand, Gujarat. The episode marked a turning point in Bengal’s politics, significantly bolstering Mamata’s image as a farmers’ champion and helping her unseat the Left government in 2011 after 34 years.

Tata’s Return to Bengal: Steady Rebuild Over the Years

Despite the fallout over Singur, the Tata Group has gradually rebuilt its presence in West Bengal over the past decade:

Tata Steel has a significant operational base in the state, including its Kharagpur facility.
Tata Metaliks, which produces pig iron and ductile iron pipes, is also headquartered in Kharagpur and has steadily expanded.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has one of its largest delivery centres in Rajarhat, Kolkata, employing thousands of professionals.
Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL), part of the Tata Group, also operates premium hotels such as the Taj Bengal in Kolkata.

The state government and Tata Group have also been in regular contact over skilling initiatives, CSR efforts, and infrastructural collaborations. However, no large-scale manufacturing project has yet matched the scale or political symbolism of the Nano plant proposal.

Signals of a New Industrial Chapter

The TMC’s carefully worded social media statement suggests that both parties are now looking to move beyond the past. Analysts believe the meeting could signal a major push for industrial reinvigoration in Bengal, especially as the state eyes partnerships in clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and technology services.

With the Lok Sabha elections behind and assembly elections due in 2026, Mamata Banerjee is likely keen to project Bengal as a business-friendly destination, countering criticism that land and industrial policies have scared away big investors.

While details of the meeting between Mamata Banerjee and Chandrasekaran remain under wraps, the optics are powerful. It comes at a time when West Bengal is ramping up infrastructure projects, launching new industrial corridors, and promoting EV and semiconductor investments.

Whether this dialogue leads to concrete investments or new Tata ventures in Bengal remains to be seen, but the signal is clear: the past may still echo, but Bengal is looking to the future — and possibly, once again, to Tata.