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Reviving Kolkata as a major urban and economic hub is critical for building a high-growth network of cities in eastern India and achieving the goal of a Viksit Bharat,  Member of the Economic Advisory Council (EAC) to the Prime Minister, Sanjeev Sanyal, said on Friday. 

Speaking to reporters in Kolkata, Sanyal said a developed eastern India and a developed Bengal are essential for realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat, with Kolkata continuing to remain the largest urban centre in the region.

"In order for you to have Viksit Bharat, you need to have a Viksit Eastern India and Viksit Bengal and Viksit Kolkata are key to this," Sanyal said, stressing the need to create a network of fast-growing urban centres across eastern India.

He said cities such as Patna, Guwahati, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar also need to emerge as growth centres, but noted that Kolkata remains the single largest hub in the region and its revival is crucial to accelerating economic growth across eastern India.

"Obviously you need Patna, Guwahati, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, they need to fire up but let's be honest, Kolkata is still the single largest hub so really getting Kolkata going is critical to getting this network of urban hubs growing fast," he told.

Sanyal emphasised the need to invest in Kolkata's urban ecosystem and said multiple measures would be required to restore the city's growth momentum. These include redevelopment initiatives and changes in industrial policies that may not be sufficiently supportive of business and investment.

He said Bengal has a long history of trade and entrepreneurship and that business is deeply rooted in the state's culture. According to him, the spirit of innovation, risk-taking and entrepreneurship for which Bengalis were historically known needs to be revived.

Sanyal said a developed Bengal must play an important role in the larger goal of building a developed India, adding that strengthening Kolkata's economic and urban ecosystem would be central to achieving that objective.