BENGAL BUSINESS SUMMIT. Future Group in talks to market 'Biswa Bangla' products

Kishore Biyani's Future Group is in talks with the Bengal government to market ‘Biswa Bangla’ products through its departmental store ‘Central’.

Biswa Bangla is the flagship apparel and décor brand of the State government, owned by the Department of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises and Textiles. Its offerings include a variety of sarees, linen and cotton shirts, casual pants, trousers, kurtas and a variety of handicrafts, decorative items and so on.

Global Business Summit “We intend to take the Biswa Bangla brand national by marketing it through Central (departmental store). We are in talks with the State government already for this,” Kishore Biyani, Group CEO, Future Group, said at the inaugural session of the third edition of the two-day Bengal Global Business Summit. Kolkata still does not have a Central outlet. One outlet is expected to come up around March-April this year in the satellite township of Rajarhat.

According to Biyani, his company will also set up an apparel manufacturing hub in the city covering an area of 2 lakh sq feet. It will give direct employment to over 10,000 people.

Sourcing The company will also source and market products from self-help groups of Bengal. These products will be marketed through its modern retail formats, preferably Big Bazaar.

“Training women from self-help groups are already on. It will help develop entrepreneurship in Bengal,” Biyani added.

Biyani’s Future group is also in talks with the West Bengal Agri Marketing Department to source vegetables and fruits.