Bengal Aerotropolis Boosts the Economy of West Bengal

Aerotropolis cities are seen mushrooming up all over the world. They are being planned and constructed in almost all countries. India too, got its very first Aerotropolis city very recently. It was developed in the state of West Bengal. Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited (BAPL) – a company that was constructed for developing Aerotropolis projects in India, launched this first aero-city in a small town named Durgapur. The town is famous for its industrial growth. It has many big and small industries which includes two major steel plants, namely – The Durgapur Steel Plant and Alloy Steel Plant. The industrial growth and rise in population in the adjoining areas has given rise to faster mode of transportation in the region. 

Aerotropolis cities are a new form of urban development that enables aviation dependant trade and tourism. Aerotropolis cities are nothing but the airport centric urban development of a city. This means that in an Aerotropolis, the city’s revenues are dependent on the development of the society as a whole. It is also sometimes dependant on the economy of that place. In an Aerotropolis the commercial development of a region is integrated with the air services. An Aerotropolis is supposed to have some must have features, which include: shopping malls, entertainment centres, food and beverage outlets, logistics and warehousing facilities etc. Bengal Aerotropolis has all of these features.

 

Mr. Partha Ghosh heads the Bengal Aerotropolis project. It was the brain child of Mr. Partha Ghosh only that gave India its very own first private Greenfield airport named Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport – an Andal airport. The project also has some office blocks, green space, and a big residential complex. The airport itself is designed to handle all cargo operations efficiently. It is developed over an area of 650 acres of land, which has two long air strips to handle all popular aircrafts. It was developed over a cost of Rs.650 crores.

 

Other than the airport, the project also had developed a residential township named Sujalaam skycity. It is built over a large scale of land that occupies affordable housing for all classes of people. It is built over an area of 2300 sq. kms. The project has schools, colleges, universities, other educational institutions, banks and ATMs, entertainment centres, information technology hubs, and business centres. All of these have boosted the economy of West Bengal to a great extent. The construction of this Aero-city has given many businesses their space in the region, which are able to generate revenues for the Aerotropolis. 

Author’s bio: Mr. Partha Ghosh comments that Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Limited has come up as an emerging company to establish Aerotropolis cities in India. It was Mr. Partha Ghosh who also planned the construction of the Andal Airport over an old air-base, which saved tons of money to the project.