Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio gets nod for sub-sea cable gateway in Bengal

Telecom giant Reliance Jio would be coming up with a cable landing station in West Bengal that would increase the state’s connectivity with European and Asian countries and attract investment, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Wednesday.

She also announced that her government has decided to build a deep-sea port in East Midnapore district – the same district where the cable landing station would be built. The state is also coming up with a broadband policy.

“Reliance Jio has agreed to set up a cable landing station at Digha. They would invest more than Rs 1,000 crore. Reliance Jio had bid to build the station and the state government has allotted them land. The decision was taken in the cabinet on Wednesday,” Banerjee said at the state secretariat after a cabinet meeting.

Submarine cables provide international telecommunication links between countries and these cables terminate in a country through cable landing stations.

Top government officials present in the meeting said that the landing station is expected to transform West Bengal into a major IT and ITES hub, draw huge investments and generate employment.

“Our IT and ITES data centres would be benefited. Our international connectivity with Singapore, Italy and Malaysia will get a boost. Such stations have been set up in Chennai and Mumbai. With the station in West Bengal, the entire eastern region, including Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, would be benefited,” said Rajiva Sinha, chief secretary of the state.

The chief minister also said that the Tajpur deep sea port would also be built.

“We have been trying to come up with a deep-sea port at Tajpur. We had requested the Centre for a joint project but it didn’t materialise. So the state has decided to go ahead with the project with another partner that would be decided through a tender,” Banerjee said. Hindustan Times