March 18, 2026
Special Session on India-Us Trade Deal 2026 & Other FTAS: Opportunities and Strategic Outlook
Dr. Krishna Gupta, IAS, Hon’ble Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Cooperation and Department of Irrigation and Waterways ( Additional Charge), Govt. of West Bengal was the Chief Guest and the Guest of Honour was Shri Sanjeev Nandwani, Former – Additional DGFT and Zonal Development Commissioner, SEZ’s for East and North-East India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India
Highlighting recent milestones, Dr. Gupta noted India’s rapid expansion of trade pacts, including the UAE CEPA (2022), Australia ECTA (2022), EFTA TEPA (implemented 2025), UK CETA (2025), Oman CEPA (December 2025), New Zealand FTA (December 2025), the concluded EU FTA (January 2026), and the US interim trade framework (February 2026), which lays the groundwork for a comprehensive Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA).
Krishna Gupta said India and the United States should continue working towards a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), despite current challenges, to tap one of the world's largest markets in line with India's Vision 2047 and its 30 trillion dollar GDP target. Dr. Gupta, however, struck a cautious note on the immediate feasibility of such a pact. "I don't think an FTA is a realistic objective at this moment, but we need to engage with China as it is a big market': he said. Referring to noted American economist and UN advisor Jeffrey Sachs, Gupta added that China is emerging as a leader in technology, the green sector and artificial intelligence. "We can benefit from their excess capacities in various sectors.
He said that for India to pursue FTAs with the US and the European Union, it must identify new sectors that can drive additional growth. He said sectors such as textiles, leather products, and gems and jewellery have been identified for the EU market, while fanning and IT services have been earmarked for the US. He emphasised the need to identify suitable trading partners and boost exports to sustain growth. He further said that the newly announced India-US Interim Trade Agreement framework, along with India's broader FTA agenda, provides zero-duty access for over $1 billion worth of Indian agricultural exports, including spices, tea and processed foods, while safeguarding sensitive sectors such as dairy and poultry.
The session was conducted by Sanjeev Nandwani, retired Indian Trade Service officer and former Additional DGFT and Zonal Development Commissioner for SEZs. In his welcome address, Chamber president Anant Saharia said the proposed India-EU agreement would open access to one of the world's largest and most advanced markets, strengthen India's global economic engagement, and reduce dependence on any single trading partner.
February 23, 2026
TRANSFORMING LEGACY INTO SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS ENTERPRISE
Sriji Huzur Dr. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, 77th Custodian of the House of Mewar and Chairman and Managing Director of HRH Group of Hotels was the Guest of Honour
Kolkata witnessed a rare and candid sharing of thoughts by Shriji Huzur Dr Lakshyaraj Singhji Mewar, the 77th custodian of the House of Mewar and direct descendant of Maharana Pratap, at a special session on "Transforming Legacy into Sustainable Business Enterprises".
Dr Lakshyaraj Singhji Mewar, Chairman and Managing Director of the HRH Group of Hotels, has successfully transformed royal heritage properties into dynamic, sustainable business entities. While preserving local arts, crafts and culture, the group has generated significant employment and contributed meaningfully to India's economy. The HRH Group and the Taj Group of Hotels share a strong 54-year business relationship in the hospitality sector.
Celebrating the spirit of "Swatantrata" — the core value symbolised by the House of Mewar — Dr Mewar addressed members of the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce and guests. He emphasised that blending simplicity with elegance, honouring business commitments, showing deep commitment to people, respecting the dignity of the workforce, practising humbleness, staying grounded in cultural roots, and pursuing long-term strategic planning are the key factors for building sustainable business enterprises.
Highlighting the historical commitment of the House of Mewar to animal welfare — including the protection of tigers — and the maintenance of a healthy biosphere, Dr Mewar stressed the importance of intergenerational interaction and care to prevent "generation-racism". He urged focus on truth while solving problems and overcoming challenges, noting that challenges are an integral part of both personal and professional life every day. Overcoming them truthfully and with empathy, he said, is the real key to scripting a success story.
Dr Mewar recalled that the first girls' school in Mewar was opened in 1854. He also paid homage to the late lawyer-hotelier Lalit Suri by lighting candles at the hotel lobby.
He further stressed the need for intergenerational bonding with freedom and care for all family members of every age to ensure sustainable growth. Referring to the abolition of the Privy Purse for royal families in 1971, Dr Mewar noted that while it had hurt the House of Mewar, the challenges were overcome through strategic thinking, careful planning and effective implementation of policies.
"The socio-economic-cultural-political landscape is continuously evolving and throws up new challenges every day," he said. "One has to be brave and strong enough to overcome these challenges daily to create and script new success stories and a rich history."
Earlier, Shri Anant Saharia welcomed Dr Lakshyaraj Singhji Mewar and introduced the distinguished guest. Past President of the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce, Shri Manoj Mohanka, moderated the special session with insightful queries and observations.
February 20, 2026
Special Session on Commodity as an Asset Class
Shri Sanjay Gakhar, Vice President (Business Development), Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd. was the Chief Guest and Guests of Honour were Shri Anuj Gupta, Commodity Market Expert and Shri Rahul Gupta, Chief Business Officer, Ashika Group.
Keynote speaker Shri Sanjay Gakhar of MCX along with others underscored the rising prominence of ‘gold and silver in physical form’ as the preferred commodity asset class. Speakers highlighted that gold possesses universal value as a high quality asset, setting itself as the global standard over all other commodities and currencies, while silver complements it as an industrial and monetary metal.
Shri Anuj Gupta, Commodity Market Expert, said that Commodities are no longer seen as just tactical trades but as crucial, strategic components of a diversified investment portfolio. They offer returns that are largely independent of traditional stocks and bonds, providing a hedge against inflation and market volatility.
Rahul Gupta, Chief Business Officer at Ashika Group, highlighted that commodities have evolved from mere trades into strategic asset classes. He emphasized their growing importance for wealth creation, alongside the MCX in the Indian financial landscape. The commodity derivatives market in India is expanding, offering significant opportunities for wealth management and risk management.
They noted that returns on physical gold and silver have shown steady year-on-year growth making tangible bullion holdings increasingly attractive as a safe haven asset that preserves wealth across generation and economic cycles as well as across national boundaries. In modern portfolio management, allocation to physical gold and silver is steadily gaining preference over equity investments in individual companies, offering unmatched liquidity, portability, intrinsic value that no paper instrument can replicate. In highly volatile global scenario, investment in gold as commodity can ensure steadily increasing return.
Experts further emphasized that both physical bullion ownership and commodity derivatives in gold and silver together with the rapidly emerging role of electricity as a critical future commodity in the commodity markets - driven by the energy transition, renewable integration and growing power trading – will play a vital role in wealth creation and accelerate India’s journey towards becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
February 03, 2026
Relative Performance of Indian States - India’s Eastern Problems
Shri Sanjeev Sanyal, Hon’ble Member, Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister shared insights on the geographic, demographic, investment and market fitness of the States and on the Budget 2026-27.
Member of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, Sanjeev Sanyal, on Tuesday flagged growth disparities in some states, and said eastern India continues to lag, due to the “long-term decline” of Kolkata as an industrial hub and slower infrastructure development. Addressing members of the Calcutta Chamber of Commerce here, Sanyal said the benefits of economic reforms have been uneven in regions.
Sanual said, "There is absolute consciousness about the fact that something needs to be done about eastern India,... Begin to think Kolkata again as a growth generator...” He explained, "At least as the maths stands today, the only credible one that you can get into a high growth zone is Kolkata. It just is by some margin much bigger than any other existing economic cluster in eastern India. So reviving Kolkata, as I keep saying is critical in getting eastern India going again because as Kolkata generates growth, it will not just generate growth for West Bengal..."
Shri Sanjeev Sanyal advocated for focused modernization and the establishment of high-growth, advanced, and modern industrial complexes in Kolkata and its catchment areas to spur high-growth economic development in West Bengal and the eastern states of India. He stated that such development in Kolkata would create a ripple effect, contributing to the growth of neighboring states including Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, Sikkim, and the North Eastern states. It will create more employment opportunities in West Bengal
Sanyal noted that West Bengal was the third-highest contributor to India's GDP, at 10.5%, in 1960-61. However, he pointed out that West Bengal's GDP contribution has been steadily declining since the mid-1960s. Sanyal emphasized that high-growth urban clusters are key to economic progress. He also highlighted India's economy shifting from an agricultural base to one driven by manufacturing and services.
He called for reforms in municipal management, including the effective implementation of the Swachh Bharat program, as well as the introduction of high-technology-based transformations to convert municipal waste into wealth, such as through energy generation like bio-gas. He stressed that each state must capitalize on its available resources and utilize them for economic development. Every state needs to focus on targeted industrial growth, he added, noting that the future of any state's economic development will depend on its ability to fast-track industrial progress with an emphasis on manufacturing industries.
January 24, 2026
Sharp Mind, Strong Heart. Empowering the Inner Core for Outer Success
Dr. Anjan Siotia, Director, Cardiology Department, TAVI, CRT and ICD Pacemaker Surgery, B.M. Birla Hospital, Kolkata, served as the eminent speaker.
Dr. Siotia delivered a keynote address on calorie management, gender specific approaches, ethnic implications, and heart attack protocols. Shri Anant Saharia, President, highlighted the link between heart health and effective business leadership in his welcome address.
Dr. Siotia stressed preventive care through balanced calorie intake, diets low in saturated fats and high in fiber, and avoidance of high calorie foods that stiffen blood vessels and raise cholesterol. He flagged tobacco and smoking as major risks and recommended at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly. He highlighted gender differences in heart attack symptoms and noted ethnic, socio economic, and genetic factors.
He warned of a rising incidence of heart attacks among people in their 30s and 40s and advocated stress reduction through nature walks, jogging, and sunlight exposure. He emphasized early symptom recognition and prompt medical action, including aspirin use and CPR when required. The session called for greater awareness to address India’s growing cardiovascular disease burden.
March 18, 2026