Centre approves CM Mamata's London visit; She will deliver a lecture at Oxford

The Centre has approved West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s proposed visit to London later this month, where she is scheduled to deliver a lecture at the University of Oxford. According to a source at the state secretariat, Nabanna, the approval was granted on Wednesday.

Mamata Banerjee is set to depart for London on March 21, with her lecture scheduled at Oxford University on March 27. She is expected to return to India on March 29. Her flight to London will take a layover in Dubai before reaching the UK.

The invitation for the lecture was extended by Jonathan Michie, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, during his visit to Kolkata in November 2023 for the Bengal Global Business Summit. This event, organized annually by the West Bengal government, aims to attract investments and strengthen business ties.

This will mark Mamata Banerjee’s second visit to the United Kingdom. In November 2017, she traveled to Scotland, where she attended a business meeting organized by Scottish Development International in collaboration with the Asia Scotland Institute and the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce.

In her efforts to draw foreign investments to West Bengal, the Chief Minister also visited Spain in September 2023. During that trip, she participated in multiple investment meetings and later attended a business conference hosted by the Dubai administration.

Mamata Banerjee’s visit to Oxford University is being seen as a significant opportunity to present Bengal’s economic and cultural landscape on a global stage. Her lecture is expected to focus on governance, economic development, and Bengal’s role in the global business environment.